New York Times Article on Employers' Response to Crackdown

Today's New York Times article by Julia Preston describes the response employers have had to the recent crackdown on illegal immigration. The article describes how employers are making some progress in combating the wave of legislation and enforcement unfavorable to them. Employers are experiencing increased enforcement at both the state and federal levels. Adding to the difficulty for employers are the sometimes conflicting state and federal rules. Among the more extreme measures, Mississippi has become the first state to make working as an illegal immigrant a felony. The article even mentioned a bill in the Arizona state legislature that would have created its own state guest worker program, clearly a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

If the federal government does not act quickly, the number of states taking action on illegal immigration will only increase. This will add more confusion to the already complex field of immigration law. While some state legislatures could already be overstepping the limits established by the U.S. Constitution, it will take years to sort the through the tangle of state and local laws now being enacted. We need a comprehensive solution to the immigration problem at the federal level; a solution that will allow honest employers to legally hire the workers needed.