The Obama administration has practically given up enforcing immigration laws at the nation’s worksites, essentially opening the door to any illegal immigrant looking for a job, according to a new report.
The Center for Immigration Studies said that workplace audits have dropped from over 3,000 in 2013 to a fraction, or 181 this fiscal year. Fines have also dropped in half, giving employers little incentive to look for legal workers when cheaper illegals are available.
Jessica Vaughan, the Center’s Director of Policy Studies and author of the report, said that the administration “has nearly abandoned enforcement of immigration” laws.
“The administration’s near discontinuation of worksite enforcement means that employers now face very little risk from hiring illegal workers and have little incentive to abide by the law,” said her report provided to Secrets.
There have been debates over whether audits or raids are the best way to force companies to do the right thing. But either way, she said, it now appears that the administration isn’t doing much of anything.
“The administration’s near total emphasis on audits amounted to half a loaf — and now it turns out that they have abandoned even that half-hearted strategy in favor of doing nothing at all to deter unscrupulous employers. To do this at a time when there are 92 million Americans not working is a huge disservice to the unemployed Americans and to the employers who play by the rules,” said Vaughan.
Because there are fewer audits, the number of employers arrested for violating immigration laws has also dropped. From 2010 to 2014, she said, arrests averaged about 200 a year. This year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is expected to arrest fewer than 70.
Fines are also down from an average of more than $8 million to likely less than $5 million.
From Vaughan:
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
