My friend Morgan Smith wrote this note about the Rio Grande in July 2024. Learn more about Morgan here , here and here .
J.A.M. v. USA "The Court holds that Oscar is entitled to a much lower, but still notable award of $175,000 because he was somewhat older at the time of the incident, was detained for about half...
Path2Papers, July 17, 2024 " What are the policy changes the Biden administration is implementing regarding temporary work visas? On June 18, 2024, the Biden administration announced a policy...
DOJ, July 18, 2024 "The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Key Programs Inc. (Southwest Key), a Texas-based nonprofit that provides housing to unaccompanied children who are...
Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters, July 18, 2024 "Even with all the industries where Californians went on strike during last year’s “hot labor summer,” some of the most active sites of...
"Competing with companies that hire immigrants who aren’t authorized to work in the U.S. is tough for a small business that follows the law because of the cost. Often, businesses pay ineligible workers less, and they also save on taxes.
Sixty-eight percent of business owners surveyed this past month by the advocacy group Small Business Majority said too many companies gain an unfair advantage by hiring immigrants who aren’t eligible to work in the U.S. In 2008, the Pew Research Hispanic Center estimated 8.3 million people were working in the U.S. without permission. Estimates put the total number of people in the U.S. without permission at about 11 million. The issue is in the forefront as lawmakers propose ideas to reform the country’s immigration laws.
“What small businesses want the most is a level playing field where they can compete fairly,” says John Arensmeyer, CEO of Small Business Majority. “Unless we fix the immigration system, small businesses are going to continue to operate at a disadvantage with companies that aren’t following the law.”
The use of ineligible workers divides small business owners. Many don’t want to speak openly about whether they hire people who don’t have permission to be in the U.S. Those who do hire ineligible workers don’t want to say publicly that they’re breaking the law, or that they benefit from paying workers less.
“Our members have told us that while they follow the rules — committing time and resources to the hiring process — they remain frustrated with their competition when they cut corners and don’t adhere to the same rules,” said Kate Bonner, manager of House legislative affairs for the National Federation of Independent Business." - Associated Press, Apr. 21, 2013.