Special to the Star-Telegram/Brian Lawdermilk
State Rep. Roberto Alonzo was among about a half-dozen demonstrators at the protest Friday.
Posted on 10/13/2007 8:57:42 AM PDT by Dubya
DALLAS -- A small band of pro-immigrant groups rallied outside the Social Security Administration's Dallas office Friday and called on the agency to keep its data out of immigration enforcement efforts.
About half a dozen demonstrators, including state Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, delivered letters asking the administration not to allow its "no match" letters to become part of immigration enforcement.
The administration mails the letters to workers and employers when the employees' names do not match the Social Security numbers they filed with their employers. Under current law, the administration's no-match database is not available to immigration officials.
And it should stay that way, said Gene Lantz, a member of Jobs with Justice, a national workers rights group, who attended Friday's demonstration.
"I'm asking Social Security to stay in the Social Security business as it was originally intended," Lantz said.
Immigration officials have tried unsuccessfully to get access to the administration's no-match database to help them identify companies that employ illegal immigrants. But they have been blocked by laws that say the letters are confidential.
Last year, John Chakwin, special agent in charge of the Dallas office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, testified at a congressional committee hearing in Plano that ICE could do a better job of enforcement if it had access to the data.
No access
Congress has not granted that access. But widespread perceptions that ICE has access to the data formed this year when the Homeland Security Department announced a crackdown in August on companies that hire illegal immigrants.
The increased workplace enforcement has not happened yet.
On Wednesday, a federal judge in San Francisco issued an injunction that prevents it, at least temporarily. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said the crackdown would cause too much hardship for law-abiding businesses and employees.
"We want the restraining order to be permanent," Lantz said.
Social Security spokesman Mark Lassiter said his agency has been sending the no-match letters to workers since 1970 and to employers since 1994.
He said that about 140,000 no-match letters will probably not be sent this year because of Breyer's ruling.
Has the word “illegal” become illegal or just not PC?
Round em up, ship em out! No letter required.
Special to the Star-Telegram/Brian Lawdermilk
State Rep. Roberto Alonzo was among about a half-dozen demonstrators at the protest Friday.
If they use the SSN for employment then they can use it when they apply for credit. The next thing you know Joe Smith in Des Moines who thought he had perfect credit finds out he skipped out on payments for an SUV in Arizona.
Protests are planned on both sides
By PATRICK McGEE
Star-Telegram staff writer
As Irving braces for demonstrators on both sides of the immigration debate to descend on the city today, two major players answer questions about the Irving Police Department’s hotly contested Criminal Alien Program.
Police Chief Larry Boyd explains his reasoning for the program, which identifies suspected illegal immigrants who have been arrested and refers them to federal immigration officials.
Protest organizer Carlos Quintanilla expresses his dismay that such a huge portion of the more than 1,600 people who have been deported are Hispanic and were arrested for misdemeanors.
http://www.star-telegram.com/407/story/266531.html
The illegals are breaking many laws and these criminal enablers are asking the government to allow them to continue to do so. Un-flipping-believable.
"I'm asking Social Security to stay in the Social Security business as it was originally intended," continue to allow us to use STOLEN social security numbers so illegal aliens can continue to work illegally in America Lantz said.
There, that's what he really said.
I’m so f*****’ sick of Mexicans and muslims.
Thus, my tag-line.
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