Some misguided politicians think the SAVE Act (HR 4088) is the answer to our lack of immigration reform. The proponents are even calling the SAVE Act as “the end to the illegal immigration problem in the USA.” Actually it is the worst legislation being proposed since HR 4437 – “the Sensenbrenner bill.”
In light of some serious questions regarding the E-verify system and problems associated with the databases that have been raised in the debate, but the darlings of SAVE refuse to acknowledge those problems or even propose solutions to the concerns raised.
The Immigration Policy Center issued an analysis of the proposed legislation and basically condemned the E-verify database as unreliable. "The Social Security Administration (SSA) estimates that 17.8 million of it records contain errors related to name, date of birth, or citizenship status, and 12.7 million of those records relate to U. S. citizens."
While proponents love to use the term "that only a full 2% of citizens" would be affected, they refuse to acknowledge that the 2% figure represents millions of workers. That is only one issue which denies the magnitude of the problem.
Also, I think it is important to point out, the SAVE Act contains no assurances whatsoever that the current government databases will be accurate and updated.
The bill offers no privacy protections for the millions of files of personal information that will be handled by employers who are skeptical of the system anyway.
More importantly, the SAVE Act offers no recourse for workers who will be declared illegible and wrongfully denied employment.
Also, If the SAVE Act were in place now, "the errors in the SSA database alone could result in 2.5 million people a year being misidentified as unauthorized for employment. Workers, including U. S. citizens, will get caught in this faulty system and lose their jobs."
Another critical point which proponents refuse to accept is that all Department of Homeland Security databases are just as unreliable and filled with high error rates.
I think the fact that federal databases are totally unreliable highlights the problem and points to the prospect of millions of people losing jobs, and then facing a federal bureaucracy that we know does not care about people or their problems.
We have all experienced the bureaucracy of the motor vehicle departments and know from personal experience how policies and procedures do not always reflect reality.
Imagine having to contest your lost employment with SSA, DHS, and the E-verify system....and with employers who do not have the time to appeal wrongful employment termination of their employees. They will simply go out and hire new employees.....and no doubt, racial profiling will play a role in this whole process.
I would hate to think that we have to accept the E-verify system because as one staff member in a USA Representative’s office told me, “it is the best thing we have right now."
Most would be willing to accept the system if it were credible and error free. When dealing with families and workers, it is imperative that this system be free from errors and wrong information.
We have already seen the results of heads of families being arrested in ICE raids....leaving families with no financial support. Separated families - a national disgrace and legacy of the Bush Administration.
I am concerned that 112 Congresspeople thus far who have agreed to co sponsor the SAVE Act, when the facts show it does not address unreliable database issues that are filled with errors and will only lead to more misery for not just "unauthorized workers", but for U. S. citizens.
I would encourage you to investigate the magnitude of the problems associated with the SAVE Act and write your elected Representatives and ask them to vote no or to remove their name as a co-sponsor.
Particularly in light of the fact that a Federal judge ruled against the SSA and their no match letters. The judge ruled the system could not be trusted because of its unreliability.
While the SAVE Act says the system has four years to correct the problems, what kind of misery is the system going to spread among American and undocumented workers whose information may be recorded erroneously during those four years?
This prompts the real question....why are we presently using an identity and employment verification system that does not work properly? Why hasn't it been fixed by now?
What happens to those workers whose only "crime" is information that was incorrectly entered into the databases? We all know that anytime a human being is entering the information into a data record, there is always the danger of mistakes....even as minor as the wrong month of your birthday, or wrong address.
If at all possible.....even for political reasons if they can’t come to the realization that for moral reasons they should not support HR 4088, please ask your elected representatives to withdraw their names as co sponsors of this bill until database credibility issues can be verified, that the SAVE Act clearly outlines a process to appeal employment decisions, and questions answered as to how a 800 mile security fence protects a 2000 mile border?
WE all want a secure border, but I am at a loss to explain to my 5th grade grandson how 800 equals 2000. And that is not even counting the northern border - where the real problems related to terrorism has been proven to be the border we should be more concerned about.
Environmental questions regarding wildlife, migration of animals, plant life, historic areas, and water rights issues have not been resolved and pushed aside, yet we continue to push for a "secure border wall" without regard to the real environmental issues.
Let me make it clear, I want secure borders, but not secured by racial profiling, discrimination, lack of adequate Border Patrol officer training, and lack of respect toward fellow human beings.
As the former manager of safety for the City and County of Denver, I understand the need to ensure every officer is trained properly.
There must also be assurances in the SAVE Act that the hiring of the LARGE number of Border Patrol officers proposed means we are hiring the best available and that the training is not rushed and that it be the very best we can offer law enforcement officers.
In addition to our brothers and sisters not being illegal, equally as important, they are not animals to be penned up and treated with disrespect.
Stop HR 4088 now while we can. It is not the end of illegal immigration, it is merely the continuation of the hate and fear climate perpetuated by Tom Tancredo.
Latino Faith Initiative challenges Latino/a evangelical faith leaders to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Proverbs 31:8
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Who Does the SAVE Act really SAVE???
Executive Director of Latino Faith Initiative ~ H.S. Power & Light Ministries. Share commentary and information on issues of the day challenging and calling to action pastors and faith leaders to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Address concerns of justice and righteousness for the poor and marginalized. Strong advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. Licensed Minister 1972. Local government/news media Consultant/Advisor and Crisis Management. Deputy Mayor for City and County of Denver 1995 - 2000. Manager of Safety for City and Country of Denver 1994 - 2000 (Civilian manager of Denver Police Department, Denver Fire Department, Ex-Officio Sheriff Denver Sheriff Department. Deputy Manager/Revenue/DMV 2000 - 2003. News Broadcast Executive/news manager/Photojournalist for over 24 years 1970 - 1994. Executive Director Confianza ~ Multicultural Faith Alliance. Faith Alliance facing urban and inner city challenges and opportunities/crisis. Involved in civic policy issues & community committees and organizations.
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The SAVE Act will become law nationally or state by state -
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/217304
Published: 12.21.2007
BULLETIN: Appeals court won't block employer-sanctions law
By Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused late Friday to issue a stay preventing Arizona's new employer-sanctions law from going into effect Jan. 1. The move came just hours after a federal judge in Phoenix rejected a request by business groups and others to block the state from enforcing its new employer sanctions law.
Judge Neil Wake said any delay in implementing the law which allows suspension or revocation of state licenses of companies that knowingly hire undocumented workers would harm the state and, in particular, legal Arizona residents.
"Those who suffer the most from unauthorized alien labor are those whom federal and Arizona law most explicitly protect,'' Wake said.
"They are the competing lawful workers, many unskilled, low-wage, sometimes near or under the margin of poverty, who strain in individual competition and in a wage economy depressed by the great and expanding number of people who will work for less,'' the judge continued.
"If the act is suspended, whether for a month or for years, the human cost for the least among us, measured by each person's continued deprivation, multiplied by their number, will be a great quantum.''
Conversely, Wake said the challengers to the law have not proven they will suffer any sort of hardship if the law takes effect as scheduled Jan. 1. He pointed out the county attorneys who would investigate complaints against employers all said in court they would not file charges against any violators before Feb. 1. Wake said that gives him time to consider the legal arguments of the groups who contend the statute is unconstitutional.
Nor was Wake convinced companies will suffer from the other requirement of the law that they check the legal status of new employees through the federal government's E-Verify system. He said their attorneys offered only "sweeping generalities'' of harm, mostly related to the cost of using the program.
He pointed out that none of the groups that actually sued claim they don't have a computer or Internet access.
"The only cost is employee time in learning the program ... and assisting new employees who wish to communicate with the federal government to resolve out-of-date government records,'' Wake wrote in his 29-page order. "That would be a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a year for the large majority of employers.''
Wake acknowledged there is a debate in this country about whether the benefits of having undocumented workers in this country, including lower labor expenses for employers, outweigh the costs.
But he said that is a decision not for him but instead for elected officials. And he said both Congress and now the Arizona Legislature have decided that the detrimental effects of illegal immigration "prevail over all who benefit from unauthorized alien labor.''
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/217304
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