Immigration Enforcement on the Brink?
A call to action.
Last Friday, the Idaho House of Representatives engaged in a spirited debate over immigration reform. Lawmakers voted on two bills intended to stem the flow of illegal immigrants coming to Idaho to work in industries such as agriculture, dairy, construction, landscaping, and hospitality.
House Bill 704 would require all Idaho employers to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the legal status of prospective employees. Federal law already limits employment to U.S. citizens and lawful visa holders—that’s why new hires must complete an I-9 form. However, that requirement has little practical effect if the information is not checked against a federal database.
I wrote a few weeks ago about two competing E-Verify proposals. H704 is a strengthened version of Rep. Jordan Redman’s original bill discussed in that earlier article. The Senate bill, which does essentially nothing but will allow lawmakers to claim they took care of E-Verify, awaits a House committee hearing.
House Bill 700 complements H704 by holding employers accountable if they knowingly hire illegal immigrants. It also explicitly protects employers who conduct due diligence by using E-Verify.
You can watch the full debate on the two bills. One interesting exchange occurred during debate on H700, when Rep. David Leavitt compared the employment of illegal immigrants to slavery. Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen strongly objected, and the House briefly recessed to allow tempers to cool.
Because both bills emerged from the House Business Committee and amend sections of law dealing with employment, they would typically be referred to the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee. However, on Monday morning, Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke read the bills across the desk and directed them instead to Senate State Affairs.
Why does that matter? Senate State Affairs has developed a reputation as the place where good bills go to die. Its chairman, Sen. Jim Guthrie, is perhaps one of the most left-leaning Republicans in the Legislature and has shown a willingness to use his authority as chair to block legislation he opposes.
Ultimately, though, responsibility rests with Sen. Kelly Anthon, the president pro tempore of the Senate. While the lieutenant governor presides and announces committee assignments, the pro tem determines which committee receives each bill. In a legislative body, such decisions don’t happen by accident. Sending the immigration bills to Sen. Guthrie’s committee was deliberate, perhaps as part of a deal involving other pending legislation. In my view, however, addressing illegal immigration should be among the Legislature’s top priorities, and I said as much for years.
If you believe enforcing immigration law should be a top priority and want to see H700 and H704 become law, consider taking three steps:
Email Sen. Anthon and ask that the bills be assigned to the appropriate committee.
Email Sen. Guthrie and ask him to give H700 and H704 proper hearings.
Finally, email the members of the Senate State Affairs Committee and ask them to send both bills to the Senate floor for a vote.
For those who prefer a streamlined option, Lauren Walker has created a one-click email to the pro tem. Citizens Alliance of Idaho, where I serve as a contributing editor, has made it easy as well.
Immigration enforcement remains central to today’s political debate. Will we enforce existing law, or allow it to be ignored? Are we a sovereign nation with defined borders, or merely an open economic zone? Is lower-cost produce worth the cost illegal migration has on local communities?
If this issue matters to you, respectfully contact your senators and urge them to do the right thing.
Feature image courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.