Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today renewed her call for comprehensive immigration reform after learning that federal agents raided businesses in her district because the companies were suspected of employing illegal workers.
“For years we have known that many employers in Arizona have been breaking the law by illegally employing undocumented workers,” said Giffords. “I do not yet know the details of the raids in Sierra Vista and Douglas but if either company knowingly circumvented the law, that company should be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. Overall, I am pleased that the federal government is stepping up enforcement efforts.”
“Having been an Arizona small business owner in the service industry, I am well aware of the demand for service workers. This is one of the primary aspects of the immigration crisis in our nation - many businesses cannot find the workers they need and do not have a reliable employee verification system. As a result, some break the law inadvertently - some break the law quite deliberately and that cannot be tolerated,” she added.
“The raids this week by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities draw attention to the fact that my district and the state of Arizona continue to bear the brunt of a national crisis. Approximately 4,000 illegal immigrants enter the United States along the border of Arizona every day. This is simply unacceptable.”
“In addition, I recognize the humanitarian concerns that are involved when raids on businesses occur, such as the situation in Massachusetts earlier this week. The problem of immigration includes many troubling aspects,” Giffords said. “President Bush and Congress must move quickly to set aside partisan politics so we can focus our energies on enacting tough, practical and effective immigration reform legislation.”
Since taking office in January, Giffords has on numerous occasions urged her colleagues to pass legislation that:
- Secures the border with modern technology such as radar and unmanned aerial vehicles;
- Bolsters the ranks of Border Patrol agents;
- Imposes tough sanctions on employers who knowingly hire illegal workers; and
- Creates a guest-worker program allowing workers to safely enter the United States to work and return home.
“Without comprehensive immigration reform, we will continue to see more raids just like the ones that took place in Sierra Vista and Douglas,” Giffords said. “We need to address this problem at its root and we need to do it now.”