U.S. Businesses Worry As Border Tightens

Crackdown On Illegal Immigrants Has Construction Firms And Farms Concerned For Future

(Christian Science Monitor)  This story was written by Gail Russell Chaddock

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Seven weeks after the collapse of comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate, the Bush administration is shifting to a plan the president once said could not work: stepped up enforcement of existing laws.

What concerns many of the nation's businesses and farms that use undocumented labor is that it might work all too well.

"It's going to hurt my members and be terrible for the economy," says Craig Silvertooth, director of federal affairs for the National Roofing Contractors Association.

According to U.S. data, about 30 percent of the roofing workforce is "improperly documented," he says. Even with wages at more than $21 per hour, the industry hasn't been able to recruit enough legal workers to meet the demand.

"If a contractor is in the middle of a major project and loses a third of his workforce, he won't be able to complete the job. You'll see businesses contracting and some doors shut," Mr. Silvertooth adds.

The 26-point crackdown, announced Friday, aims to cut the incentive for illegal immigration in the United States: jobs. "If we have work-site enforcement directed at illegal employment, we strike at that magnet," said Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff.

The expected disruptions to interests ranging from restaurants, motels, landscaping, the garment industry, construction and farms also steps up the pressure on Congress to pass comprehensive reform.

"Our hope is that the key elements of the Senate bill will see the light of day at some point. But until Congress chooses to act, we're going to be taking some energetic steps of our own," said Mr. Chertoff.

The administration's plan includes more resources on the border, enhanced enforcement within the U.S., and stepped up work site enforcement.

Of greatest concern to the U.S. business community is a "no-match" regulation that requires employers to take action if an employee's personal identity information does not match a number in the Social Security Administration database.

Under the terms of the Bush administration's crackdown, an employer receiving a "no-match" letter on an employee has 90 days to resolve the issue. This may require the worker sorting out discrepancies directly with the Social Security Administration.