Update II (11:50 a.m.): Sean McHugh, spokesman for Swift & Company, e-mailed this canned press release (PDF) in non-responsive response to my question about why Swift hires illegal aliens in violation of federal law. It’s mostly a CYA piece of fluff that assures investors and clients that production is back on track and reminds everyone else that no criminal or civil charges have been filed against Swift.
Update (10:13 a.m.): Michelle Malkin reports: “One of the victims [of the raid identity theft] was a Border Patrol agent!”
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Yesterday, federal agents arrested a bunch of illegal aliens working for meat-packing plants owned by Swift & Company after an 11-month identity theft investigation.
(I contacted their media person for comment. I don’t expect to hear back, though.)
But it’s all for show. Why? Unless the government “cracks down” on employers and give them heavy disincentives to hiring illegal aliens, the whole thing’s meaningless.
Whoever does the hiring at these plants has to know by now that non-English speaking, Spanish-speaking people seeking jobs there likely are illegal aliens. At the very least, they need to be trained to spot fake Social Security cards and other documents.
The federal government must change the way it operates, too. There is no coordination between the various agencies, and that makes tracking down illegal aliens more difficult. From the article:
The sweep also highlighted flaws in the main program through which the government helps employers authenticate workers’ identification documents, underscoring how weak government ID requirements and poor coordination with the Social Security Administration have frustrated enforcers for decades. Swift has been participating in the program for years.
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Although many illegal workers by definition commit document fraud to get jobs, the government’s use of identity theft charges could reframe the immigration debate for the public and spotlight how sharing Social Security data could fight such abuses, she said.
Last summer I linked to an Inspector General’s audit report about the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA issues nonwork cards to illegal aliens so they can receive welfare, and too many of them are using the nonwork cards to obtain employment. But the people who hire them bear most of the responsibility. The cards display “nonwork” on them.
But that’s not the worst part. Because of the Privacy Act, the SSA is not allowed to tell companies which of their employees are not authorized to work. The Inspector General concluded: “We believe SSA should consider examining its interpretation of existing disclosure laws and, if necessary, seek legislative authority that would allow the Agency to disclose nonwork status to employers.”
So the feds made a big show of “raiding” plants and handcuffing illegal aliens. Big deal. Identity theft is one way to tackle the problem, yes, but yesterday’s raid will mean absolutely nothing if those same illegal aliens end up at other meat-packing plants. DEPORT THEM. HEAVILY FINE THE COMPANIES. Train hiring managers to spot fake documents. Learn how to use employment verification systems already in place.
Links: Michelle Malkin (Also see her latest column, Beware of illegal aliens seeking hazmat licenses), Iowa Voice, Blogs for Bush, Talk Left (makes a good point!), Gun Toting Liberal, Captain’s Quarters, Lonewacko…
