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Illegal workers lose jobs at unique American company
Tweetillegal workers lose jobs at unique American company
A drama that is playing out at American Apparel, the nation’s largest American-based clothing manufacturer, could tell a lot about the future of immigration enforcement and immigration reform in the United States.
American Apparel, a young company founded just 20 years ago by a Canadian-born entrepreneur, has spent most of its corporate life swimming against the tide.
It evolved from a producer of specialty T-shirts into an integrated company that controls not only production, but retailing, with more than 250 company-owned stores throughout the country. Just as notably, it continues to produce its apparel in the United States, and actually exports American-made clothing to other countries.
And now, American Apparel has another distinction. It is firing nearly a fourth of its Los Angeles factory work force based on an audit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that found the irregularities with those employees’ identity documents.
Finishing the job
The New York Times reports that the investigation was begun 17 months ago under the administration of President George W. Bush and concluded under President Barack Obama. It is a continuation of a policy based on the concept that if illegal immigrants come to the United States for jobs, they will leave if the jobs are no longer available. Countervailing opinion holds that immigrant workers are here doing the jobs that Americans will not do. But American Apparel jobs would not fit that description.
American Apparel has prided itself on not running sweatshops. Its pay is well-above average for its industry at $12 per hour and the company provides health care coverage. Recently it distributed $18 million in stock to the employees.
It will be interesting to see in coming weeks and months the level of success the company has in replacing its presumably illegal workers with American citizens or legal immigrants.
It is not hard to imagine what the response would be in the Mahoning Valley to an advertisement seeking to fill hundreds of entry-level jobs paying about $500 per week, with benefits.
Some of the employees at American Apparel had been with the company for a decade and had risen to supervisory jobs paying $45,000 a year. Will those employees uproot their families and return to Mexico or Central America, or will seek another role in the underground economy? Will displaced American Apparel employees take jobs now held by other illegal immigrants, forcing those people out of work and back across the border?
Employers have long been required to demand proof of citizenship or legal immigration status when hiring. Some employees provided fraudulent documentation; some employers have no doubt been happy to accept such documentation as long as they felt they could get away with it.
Compliance is the key
The American Apparel case sets a new bar for compliance. In the last year of the Bush administration, ICE conducted heavy-handed raids on several meat-packing plants, rounding up illegal workers. Negative reaction to the stories of mothers arrested at the plants and shipped out of the country leaving their children stranded and companies forced to curtail their business because of the raids spelled an end to that tactic.
The method of enforcement pursued with American Apparel is a sensible one that recognizes the complicated reality of illegal immigration in the United States. Tens of millions of immigrants did not arrive in the United States overnight and they and their families cannot be evicted overnight. But that doesn’t mean the problem should be ignored.
Comments
Let's think about this for one minute. Who's fault is it? Most of these "illegals" came across the border as legal visitors. They went right through our border guard processing and were allowed in to our country.
When I was crossing the border from Mexico one year, the border guards pulled some people away and would not let them enter. Others next to me who were allowed to enter talked in Spanish to each other about being lucky they were not pulled and glad they would not have to go through that again. So, was I standing next to "illegals" at that point? Who's fault is it?
VINDYAK, It is your fault that the ones next to you are now here illegally. Everyone needs to get involved and stop saying, "it's not my job".
With the unemployment rate growing, this is fantastic!! A government agency should be conducting more of these audits.
Good 4 them. Go back where they came from
I believe some readers missed my point. During entry into the U.S. from Mexico, all people are "processed" by checking out their passports, running them thru a computer looking for reasons not to allow them in or to check for warrants and BOLO's. If there are no "hits", the "visitor" is allowed entry as a visitor for the day or for a short period of time, as declared by the visitor or allowed by law. At this time, the visitor is not an illegal alien.
The problem arises when this "visitor" exceeds his declared stay and does not return to the visitor's country of origin and continues to stay in the USA, obtaining a permanent address and begins to seek employment. This "visitor" is now illegally residing in the USA. Some adults come into this country to give birth to their children, who then automatically become US citizens and can obtain benefits. Others obtain employment, stay under the radar and even register to vote.
The problem, from my point of view is at the border. We need to develop a method of tracking these "visitors" so they will return to their "country of origin" and not set up residency, obtain employment and register to vote. With the hundreds of thousands of people entering our country daily, tracking could be a nightmare. One solution could be a border pass, much like a credit or debit card, but with a thumb print. The visitor must punch the card in daily or at predetermined periods of time at a police station. If the visitor is approved to stay the computer will flash a green light and the police will let them go. If the computer flashes red, they are detained. If a visitor does not enter his card on the day required, that visitor becomes illegal and will be subject to a warrant for his arrest. Upon being arrested, the "visitor" will be detained in jail until a court hearing. The court shall determine penalty, fine and disposition of the visitor. If a visitor does not have a border card, they will automatically be arrested. If a visitor fails to punch in when required, his penalty and fines will be tripled. This is one example. I am sure there are others.
This is not an easy solution and it will be fought by many, many groups, but it is one we must make if we want to secure our borders.
Another comment: The "border pass" system will create plenty of jobs for Americans who want our borders secure. This is a win - win system and could involve every police department in America with additional work. New computers would not be needed, only software and secure internet connections.
Vindyak, the other part of the problem is the employers that hire these illegals. One solution would be to require employers to have and use a simple fingerprint (thumb) reader that would be required before they can hire anyone. They would be required to electronically transmit the information along with a photo to a state computer system. We would now have a record of where these people are working. The state computer system could immediately run a check on any new entries to determine if they are in fact already in violation. If so we know where to find them. Most state computers share motor vehicle department data so the connection is already there
We could even give a tax credit to the employers who are required to buy the readers. That should eliminate one excuse.
Never happen though since the ACLU would claim we are violating the illegals rights and the liberals in government would back them up.
Redvert...good idea on the employer act! About illegals, they should have no rights if there is a warrant for thier arrest...right?
Bottom line make sure your Representatives know illegals get no amnesty.
Debate the illegals until hell freezes over, in the mean time, who from the Youngstown/Mahoning County government has started talks with this company to bring those jobs here? We have plenty of vacant facilities to offer, and a hell of a big number of potential employees. Are you listening Jay Williams?
lets cry over the illegals losing their jobs. what about all of the american citizens living in this country who speak english and didnt sneak over the border in a tunnel under the cover of darkness? i guess we dont care about our own people just those poor illegal workers who are now out of jobs boo hoo hoo. go back where you came from if you cant speak the language then get out