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U.S. Contractor Employs Illegal Workers
Washington,
May 30, 2007 -
Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) today sent a letter to OMB Director Rob Portman about a published report that a U.S. government contractor hired illegal immigrants.
“Incidents like this should persuade the Administration to rethink the ill-advised immigration bill now before the Senate,” said Ranking Member Smith. “How can we expect the federal government to enforce a massive new guest worker program when it does not abide by current laws?”
Smith’s letter cited published reports that the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) recently arrested 14 illegal immigrants employed by Cutting Edge Forestry, Inc. of Oregon to conduct work on behalf of the U.S. Forestry Service.
“What is so troubling,” writes Smith “is that the illegal immigrants were doing work under Cutting Edge’s contract with the U.S. Forest Service.”
Smith applauded ICE for this all too rare interior enforcement action, but pointed out that even the federal government’s contractors are not doing an adequate job of employee verification.
“Fortunately, however, the Basic Pilot Program already exists to address this problem,” explained Smith.
Smith asked Portman to do all he can to see that federal government agencies and their contractors are required to join the Basic Pilot Program to prevent these kinds of incidents.
“American citizens and legal immigrants deserve these jobs – not those who have broken our laws,” Smith concluded.
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