Reducing Illegal Immigration Through Employment Verification,Enforcement, and Protection
October 7, 2008
Robert Rector
Senior Research Fellow
Immigration reform has many facets: It must proÂtect national security, uphold the rule of law, strengthen citizenship, and benefit the American economy.[1] The overall effect must be to reduce illegal immigration in to the United States. Although border security generally receives more attention,[2] serious enforcement of current laws prohibiting the employÂment of illegals is also an important tool in an overall strategy to reduce illegal immigration.
The majority of persons who enter the U.S. illeÂgally or unlawfully overstay temporary visas do so for purposes of employment. Employment of such indiÂviduals has been illegal since 1986, although that law has never been seriously enforced. If access to employment were curtailed in accord with that law, many (probably even a large majority) of current illeÂgal immigrants would leave the country voluntarily, and the number of future illegal entrants would be greatly reduced.
https://www.heritage.org/immigration/report/reducing-illegal-immigration-through-employment-verificationenforcement-and
