Sen. Claire McCaskill said she would not vote to re-confirm the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement until she receives better answers about enforcing immigration laws on the books.Secretary Julie Myers is looking for passage out of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.
During the Myers' confirmation hearing last week, McCaskill asked her for statistics on the prosecution of employers who hire illegal immigrants. In a release Tuesday, McCaskill said Myers "came up short."
“I’ve spent a lot of time as a prosecutor and I don't buy it. It is, I think, outrageous that you would come to a confirmation hearing in front of the United States Senate and not know how many employers in this country have been criminally prosecuted,” McCaskill told Myers at the September 12th hearing. “The idea that you're keeping statistics that are lumping together the immigrants that you're arresting in the workplace with the employers is masking the fact that this has not been a priority and continues not to be a priority.”
McCaskill said she knows that 537 people in Missouri were charged last year for kids using IDs in bars, but doesn't understand how the U.S. government can't tell how many employers around the country have violated immigration laws.
McCaskill said she knows that 537 people in Missouri were charged last year for kids using IDs in bars, but doesn't understand how the U.S. government can't tell how many employers around the country have violated immigration laws.
"537 employers in Missouri were charged or sanctioned last year for accepting fake IDs from people who were trying to have a drink. But, we can't tell the American people how many employers have spent a day in jail for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants," McCaskill said.
In a letter to Myers, McCaskill asks for her to provide the number of employers who were arrested in 2007, served jail time in 2007, or were fined in 2007. She also requested similar statistics for the entire Bush Administration tenure.
In a letter to Myers, McCaskill asks for her to provide the number of employers who were arrested in 2007, served jail time in 2007, or were fined in 2007. She also requested similar statistics for the entire Bush Administration tenure.
“Before we can confirm any nominee to head up our country’s immigration enforcement agency, the U.S. Senate and the American people we need to know the nominee’s track record on this issue. And until Secretary Myers provides me with that information, I cannot support her nomination," McCaskill said.
3 comments:
Hooray for Claire, she even responsed to an email on this topic!
are you sure it was, Claire herself? and not one of her staff members? I always wondered that. Jim Talent sent me back an email once. Was it him? Or a staffer?
Well I don't know if it was Claire or staff, but it did answer the questions and concerns I raised. I appreciate the independence she has shown from the party line on this issue and others. When you are a small business man trying to compete with others who use illegals and nothing is done, it is very frustrating.
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