Stricter Immigration Enforcement Must Include Comprehensive Reform

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The Bush administration's announcement that the Department of Homeland Security will require employers to fire employees with invalid Social Security numbers threatens the health of California's economy. This new policy also stands in stark contrast to the carrot-and-stick approach to immigration reform that the Senate debated, and the president supported, as recently as June of this year.   

California's economy is as large as it is diverse. Our state is home to the largest agricultural sector in the United States, popular tourism destinations, and a vibrant construction industry. The new immigration enforcement guidelines, set to take effect in September, will threaten each of these sectors at a time when we can ill afford it.

One worrisome example of the immediate effect these guidelines will have is the upcoming fall harvest period, when California's farmers rely heavily on seasonal labor. Without access to seasonal workers, farmers will be unable to harvest their crops and the $32 billion agricultural industry will face what Senator Dianne Feinstein has predicted will be a "catastrophe." 

In addition to the effect on California's largest economic sectors, tax revenues will decrease and demands on social programs will increase. Migrant workers will be left with the option of unemployment or working in underground jobs where employers do not pay taxes or file the necessary paperwork for their employees. 

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