Roskam and Kirk Call on Blagojevich to End Illegal Immigration Open Door Policy in IL
Press Release
Roskam and Kirk Call on Blagojevich to End Illegal Immigration Open Door Policy in IL
Congressmen Peter J. Roskam (R-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) recently introduced a resolution (H.Res. 1380) calling on Rod Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois, to end policies that hamstring employers' ability to comply with federal immigration laws. Roskam and Kirk also commended local law enforcement officers for recent raids where 49 illegal immigrants were arrested, all of which had ties to violent street gangs.
"Illinois is home 550,000 illegal immigrants, more than any other non-border state in the nation," said Roskam. "We even have more illegals than Arizona. Why? Because the Blagojevich Administration has made a concerted effort to not only attract, but keep, illegal immigrants here in Illinois. Thanks to this lack of leadership, Illinois taxpayers now are expected to pay more than $3 billion every year for the numerous state services and benefits afforded to illegal immigrants."
"We should always support the basic right of Americans to verify the legal status of a potential employee," Congressman Mark Kirk said. "The Illinois General Assembly should recognize what more than 66,000 employers already know: E-Verify is the most accurate and easy-to-use tool available to help determine the status of potential workers."
Roskam and Kirk also highlighted a federal lawsuit against Governor Blagojevich and the State of Illinois' decision to ban the use of any employee verification system, including E-Verify. The Congressmen believe that if we are to truly secure our borders we must remove the lure of illegal employment.
"We can only secure our borders when we remove the magnets that attract thousands of illegal immigrants to stream across our borders daily," continued Roskam. "We must provide employers with the proper tools to allow them to comply with federal immigration laws - and E-Verify is the best way to do that."
E-Verify is a free, voluntary program that allows employers to check the work eligibility of prospective hires to ensure compliance with federal immigration laws. While opponents characterize the program as inaccurate, 99.5 percent of all queries return accurately within seconds.
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