Why bother with work permits?

[Robby999 1,024]

Labor Dept. Confirms: It Will Ensure Illegal Aliens Get Paid Legal Wages in U.S. Jobs Wednesday, August 31, 2011

By Fred Lucas Hilda Solis is sworn in as secretary of labor by Vice President Joe Biden. (AP photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. Department of Labor told CNSNews.com in a written statement on Wednesday that it will enforce the federal wage laws on behalf of anyone working in the United States "regardless of their immigration status." The statement was in response to a written question from CNSNews.com.

The written statement backed up a video statement that Labor Secretary Hilda Solis made to CNSNews.com on Monday in which she indicated that "partnership" agreements she had signed that day with a group of Latin American countries will obligate the U.S. government to protect the working conditions for both "documented and undocumented" migrant laborers here in the United States. (See earlier story.)

The Labor Department's determination to make U.S. employers treat illegal aliens taking jobs in the United States as if they were U.S citizens or legal immigrants seems to contradict the Immigration and Nationality Act. That act says "employers may hire only persons who may legally work in the United States (i.e., citizens and nationals of the U.S.) and aliens authorized to work in the U.S." and that the U.S. government "protects U.S. citizens and aliens authorized to accept employment in the U.S. from discrimination in hiring or discharge on the basis of national origin and citizenship status."

After being unable to get a question into Solis or another Labor Department official during a conference call the Labor Department held with reporters on Wednesday, CNSNews.com followed up with a question sent to the Labor Department via e-mail.

The question was: "Will the Department of Labor enforce existing law under the Immigration and Nationality Act that says 'employers may hire only persons who may legally work in the United States (i.e. citizens and nationals of the U.S.) and aliens authorized to work in the U.S.?'"

A Department of Labor official responded: "The WHD [Wage and Hour Division] administers and enforces the law for all workers employed in the United States, regardless of their immigration status."

On Monday, Labor Secretary Solis had signed "partnerships" with Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador to protect the rights of "migrant" workers in the United States.

During the signing ceremony, Solis said, "No matter how you got here or how long you plan to stay, you have certain rights. You have the right to be safe and in a healthy workplace and the right to a legal wage. We gather here today to strengthen our shared commitment to protect the labor rights of migrant workers in the United States. Unfortunately, due to language barriers and immigration status, migrant workers can be those that are most vulnerably abused."

After the signing ceremony, CNSNews.com asked Solis: "Both documented and undocumented workers will be protected under U.S. labor laws?"

"It has always been the case under previous Republican as well as Democratic administrations," Solis answered. "All we're doing is enforcing the law and we're allowing for other individual groups and partnerships with other consulate offices to work with us in expanding our reach in information. What we're trying to avoid is that vulnerable communities be abused and that there be an increase in more underground activity, economic activity that goes untapped, those monies that are being paid to workers."

Before signing the "partnerships" with Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador on Monday, Solis had already signed similar partnerships to with the governments of Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala to protect migrant workers in the U.S. from those countries. Solis indicated on Monday that she was also "pursuing accords with governments from South East Asia and others in the Caribbean."

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Labor Dept. Confirms: It Will Ensure Illegal Aliens Get Paid Legal Wages in U.S. Jobs Wednesday, August 31, 2011

By Fred Lucas Hilda Solis is sworn in as secretary of labor by Vice President Joe Biden. (AP photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. Department of Labor told CNSNews.com in a written statement on Wednesday that it will enforce the federal wage laws on behalf of anyone working in the United States "regardless of their immigration status." The statement was in response to a written question from CNSNews.com.

The written statement backed up a video statement that Labor Secretary Hilda Solis made to CNSNews.com on Monday in which she indicated that "partnership" agreements she had signed that day with a group of Latin American countries will obligate the U.S. government to protect the working conditions for both "documented and undocumented" migrant laborers here in the United States. (See earlier story.)

The Labor Department's determination to make U.S. employers treat illegal aliens taking jobs in the United States as if they were U.S citizens or legal immigrants seems to contradict the Immigration and Nationality Act. That act says "employers may hire only persons who may legally work in the United States (i.e., citizens and nationals of the U.S.) and aliens authorized to work in the U.S." and that the U.S. government "protects U.S. citizens and aliens authorized to accept employment in the U.S. from discrimination in hiring or discharge on the basis of national origin and citizenship status."

After being unable to get a question into Solis or another Labor Department official during a conference call the Labor Department held with reporters on Wednesday, CNSNews.com followed up with a question sent to the Labor Department via e-mail.

The question was: "Will the Department of Labor enforce existing law under the Immigration and Nationality Act that says 'employers may hire only persons who may legally work in the United States (i.e. citizens and nationals of the U.S.) and aliens authorized to work in the U.S.?'"

A Department of Labor official responded: "The WHD [Wage and Hour Division] administers and enforces the law for all workers employed in the United States, regardless of their immigration status."

On Monday, Labor Secretary Solis had signed "partnerships" with Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador to protect the rights of "migrant" workers in the United States.

During the signing ceremony, Solis said, "No matter how you got here or how long you plan to stay, you have certain rights. You have the right to be safe and in a healthy workplace and the right to a legal wage. We gather here today to strengthen our shared commitment to protect the labor rights of migrant workers in the United States. Unfortunately, due to language barriers and immigration status, migrant workers can be those that are most vulnerably abused."

After the signing ceremony, CNSNews.com asked Solis: "Both documented and undocumented workers will be protected under U.S. labor laws?"

"It has always been the case under previous Republican as well as Democratic administrations," Solis answered. "All we're doing is enforcing the law and we're allowing for other individual groups and partnerships with other consulate offices to work with us in expanding our reach in information. What we're trying to avoid is that vulnerable communities be abused and that there be an increase in more underground activity, economic activity that goes untapped, those monies that are being paid to workers."

Before signing the "partnerships" with Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador on Monday, Solis had already signed similar partnerships to with the governments of Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala to protect migrant workers in the U.S. from those countries. Solis indicated on Monday that she was also "pursuing accords with governments from South East Asia and others in the Caribbean."

Its kinda like, hey if your going to racketeer make sure you follow health and safety guidelines lol.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Its kinda like, hey if your going to racketeer make sure you follow health and safety guidelines lol.

[Robby999 1,024]

I guess the insurance industry will use this as a reason to increase workmans comp rates. Maybe he plans to count the illegal workers as jobs saved/added by his admin.

[Nina~ 431]

Theoretically, I think this is a great idea. If illegal alien were paid the same are regular workers, companies would have less of an incentive to hire them.. It would actually be more of a liability because they could end up paying more in fines if they were caught hiring illegal aliens.

In reality, unscrupulous businesses will pay them peanuts under the table and the illegal aliens would be too scared to report it.

[Danno 1,228]

Theoretically, I think this is a great idea. If illegal alien were paid the same are regular workers, companies would have less of an incentive to hire them.. It would actually be more of a liability because they could end up paying more in fines if they were caught hiring illegal aliens.

In reality, unscrupulous businesses will pay them peanuts under the table and the illegal aliens would be too scared to report it.

I agree but in reality, they are paying most even above minimum... yet below what a normal (strictly domestic) labor market would demand. (Percentage wise... there are not that many picking lettuce)

Why would anyone NOT want these laws to be enforced?

It offers protection of workers rights to those who Love illegals and for the rest of us.....it offers more exposure for the punishment of companies that hire Illegals.