Posted on 04/01/2002 10:17:57 PM PST by sarcasm
The Mexican Embassy in Washington delivered a strongly worded rebuff to the United States government on Monday following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could curtail the rights of undocumented migrant workers.
"The embassy laments the decision," said a press communiqué from the Mexican Foreign Relations Secretariat. "(We) are worried about its consequences...for immigrants who, through their daily labors, contribute to the growth and competitiveness of the U.S. economy."
The communiqué said the decision could "foment a situation of abuse, exploitation and marginalization of a great number of undocumented Mexicans."
Last Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that undocumented migrant Jose Castro, a Mexican who was fired in 1989 from Hoffman Plastic Compounds in California, was not entitled to back pay because he obtained his job illegally, using a friend's birth certificate.
The National Labor Relations Board was suing Hoffman Plastic Compounds on behalf of Castro, who claimed he was owed 67,000 dollars in back pay. He was fired for helping organize a union at the plant, which is not legal grounds for dismissal in the U.S.
The decision sparked immediate protest from labor and migrant organizations, who feared the precedent it sets would sanction extra-legal efforts by companies to ban unions from the workplace. Without the ability to organize, they said, undocumented workers were at the mercy of exploitative employers.
"This is a decision that rewards bad employers, and that is bad news for all workers," said Eliseo Medina, vice president of the Service Employees International Union in Los Angeles, and member of the American Federation of Labor's Immigration Committee.
"It's clearly an ideological decision, not a practical decision because it totally ignores the contribution that undocumented workers make to the U.S. economy," he said.
Medina pointed out an estimated four million undocumented workers in the U.S. contribute 300 billion dollars to the economy annually.
"And that is not including the money they pay into social security, which they never get back," he added.
The Foreign Relations Secretariat, meanwhile, said immigration was a reality that "cannot be ignored," and argued the 400,000 Mexicans who cross the border each year looking for work are simply "responding to market conditions."
The secretariat urged the U.S. to continue with bilateral discussions on immigration issues "so that migrant flows take place in a legal, ordered and dignified manner."
After his election in 2000, U.S. President George W. Bush pledged to make immigration a priority for his administration. Talks with Mexican President Vicente Fox - who has been pushing hard for an open border between the two countries - began in April 2001 but were sidelined after the attacks of Sept. 11.
Mexican immigrants working in the U.S. are the third largest source of income for Mexico - after oil and tourism - sending home an estimated 9.3 billion dollars last year.
If an illegal alien presents false papers to gain employment, they are placing the employer in jeopardy. Legal sanctions could be levied against that employer.
Now, if it can be proven that an employer hired an illegal knowing full well that he did, I say he entered into that financial agreement knowing the facts. Under those circumstances the illegal should prevail in court.
I may not like illegals being here, but I'll be damned if I'll stand by and watch any man cheated out of the benefit of his work. Once paid, that illegal should be deported.
As for the labor unions, they are doing their best to move their major support to illegal immigrants from the traditional labor union employee of years gone by.
The curious thing is that the labor unions frequently abused membership by taking funds and doing whatever the hell they wanted with those funds, even buying their favorite candidates.
Unions have a crusty record. Now it's about to turn even crustier. If you think they won't take advantage of the illegal alien, think again. And I'll defend the illegal against them when I hear of it.
It sounds like the Supreme Court made the right decision here, because it found that the illegal used fraud to obtain employment. I'll have to admit that it truly frosts me that a situation occurred where the illegal ran up a credit in this amount, then couldn't collect. I don't think very highly of the employer on this. And I will say that I might change my mind if I were exposed to more information.
Geez, we're talking major b--ls here! It's just amazing to me that these attornies think they can get away with this type of carp!
There isn't a chance in hell I'd back this guy then. Thanks again.
You can apply this question to a number of topics. How can these illegals walk into federal offices and apply for food stamps, section 8 housing, Medicare, Medicade, WIC, and all the other freebies that the government give them and that you are paying for?
Why is it the government lets them break the law and go free when they will put you in jail for an unpaid parking ticket?
There is one set of rules for them and another set for us. Get used to the new third world America.
I think you're right ---if someone is knowingly hiring illegals then there should be no financial reward for them at all ---they should pay the illegal everything they would pay an American worker ----plus have heavy fines slapped on them for breaking the law. If the illegal committed a felony crime by presenting false papers --like the stolen or phony Social Security numbers and Birth Certificates they often use, then they should have huge fines slapped on them and have the money taken out of this back pay. The profits of illegal employment should be removed to both sides.
This decision is going to encourage employers to hire more illegal aliens, because they can now cheat them and get off scot free.
The arrogance of that government never ceases to amaze. Jorge Castaneda is the one who is doing the bitching. That drooling Marxist pest ought to be declared an enemy of the U.S., or at least given immediate persona non grata status.
He's very open about his socialistic roots, so in that respect, I consider him at least honest about his goal of an open Northern Mexican border.
But,,, what completely blows me away is the sheeple-like quality of the so called "conservatives", many of which post here. How can they buy Vincente Fox's swill when he installed the socialist Castaneda as his Sec of State?
It's these American "conservatives" who sicken me...
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