Posted on 12/19/2001 6:51:05 AM PST by batter
To whom it may concern:
The events of September 11th have taught us to expect a new level of vigilance from our government regarding security issues. Nowhere is this watchfulness more needed than at our nation's airports, where we should expect swift action when security breaches are uncovered.
When Paul Warner, the US Attorney for Utah, informed me recently that an investigation had disclosed that certain individuals who had access to restricted areas of Salt Lake City International Airport had misrepresented their backgrounds, I agreed with him that the situation needed to be corrected. We must have confidence that we know the background of every worker in these secure areas, and we cannot permit people to work in a compromising position that might be exploited by terrorists.
The approach that federal and state law enforcement agencies took to solve the problem at our airport was to embark upon a clandestine (secret even to me), seven-week investigation, which started in mid-October. The inquiry disclosed that 67 individuals with access to secure areas had provided false background information to their employers. Sixty-one of these employees were migrant workers who had falsified social security numbers.
At the end of the investigation, state and federal officers arrested and imprisoned dozens of workers. These arrests left many families in turmoil, with children waiting at home for their parents to return from work. After the families figured out what was happening, an even greater reality hit home: those arrested faced criminal prosecution and deportation. All this left many families wondering why they were being treated like terrorists and what they would do to make ends meet.
These are legitimate questions. There is no evidence that any of those arrested planned any terrorist activity, and most were just trying to support their families by working maintenance and food-service jobs at the airport.
For the six US citizens who supplied false information about their criminal backgrounds, no mitigating circumstances apply, and they deserve to be prosecuted. However, those migrant workers who falsified social security numbers likely did not know they were doing anything that would subject them to prosecution or deportation. They were simply doing what thousands of other economic migrants are doing throughout the state, and what millions are doing throughout the nation. Most of them were working at low-paying food service and janitorial jobs. Unfortunately, they were placed by their employers in secured areas of the airport.
Fundamentally, our nation's hypocritical policies toward migrant workers are at fault for this situation. The federal government, including US Attorneys and the INS, gives a wink and a nod to millions of undocumented foreign workers, who often work in low-paying food service and labor jobs. As with immigrant workers throughout our nation's history, these workers contribute significantly (more than $30 billion) to the US economy each year, despite low wages and minimal benefits.
The gap between the law (undocumented workers are "illegal" and subject to deportation) and common practice (allowing economic migrants to work, even after using false social security numbers) is obvious to any informed observer. Facing this reality, even President Bush has considered granting a general amnesty to Mexican workers in the US.
Given these circumstances, a more reasonable, compassionate approach should have been pursued with the airport workers. In October, before incurring the cost and delay of a massive investigation, we could have informed workers with questionable immigration status that they should immediately leave restricted areas and quit their jobs or face prosecution. This would have remedied the security issue seven weeks faster than "Operation Safe Travel," while avoiding the devastating human costs of the arrests and prosecutions. Then, we could have followed up with an investigation to confirm the backgrounds of remaining workers in secure areas, ensuring 100% compliance.
Whether by making our airport the first in the nation to screen all checked bags or by securing the restricted areas of the airport, we are committed to making Salt Lake City International Airport the safest airport in the nation. Our airport staff has been diligent in meeting federal requirements concerning access to secured areas. Going well beyond its regulatory responsibility, our airport has now implemented a system for confirming the social security numbers of every person who receives a badge to enter a secure area.
We implore leaders across the nation to address this issue at their airports immediately and to handle the situation in a humane, compassionate manner. We also urge our own community to look beyond our differences in national origin and to see each other as fellow brothers and sisters, instead of as "foreigners," "Mexicans," and "illegals." We can work together to solve the problems facing our country and our community, and make this a nation that treasures diversity, freedom, and compassion for all.
I'd much rather have an ex-con who served his/her time get a security job
at an airport than some illiterate immigrant who can't speak English.
Ex-cons are simply MORE AWARE OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
IOW - lets nail the US citizens (even if they too have families) but let off the illegals no matter what they do...
Hmmm, might the low wage being payed, be because there is a surplus of cheap labor?
This is a whole new low.
Maintenance workers - nice manipulation/blackmail target for terrorists to achieve their ends.
Because the Salt Lake City, like most other large cities in the U.S., is full of liberals. At least enough to make a difference in the voting both. That, plus apathy in the conservative voter.
This really grinds my gizzards. Falsifying Social Security numbers is ILLEGAL. I have 3 people in the United States who are on a joy ride with my Social Security number. People think that they are just pulling numbers out of the sky, but it's is almost always attached to another person. This is NOT harmless!! Grrrrr. Merry Christmas.
It's even worse than that. While airline passengers are treated as potential terrorists, we are expected to look the other way as government ignores its own security rules, and allows various illegals easy access to areas that would get a "civilian" shot on sight.
Here's the good old tried-and-true "everybody does it" excuse. I didn't buy it when the media used this tack to defend Klinton and I don't buy it now. These people lied, they knew what they were doing, and they should be prosecuted.
These arrests left many families in turmoil, with children waiting at home for their parents to return from work. After the families figured out what was happening, an even greater reality hit home: those arrested faced criminal prosecution and deportation.
They should have thought about that before they fraudulently secured employment.
All this left many families wondering why they were being treated like terrorists....
Oh, really? The U.S. military is dropping bombs on their houses? That's a new one on me.
It is disgusting that the illegals have more rights than U.S. citizens. If any of us citizens were fired for lying on security forms to fraudulently secure employment, would the governor's office be mobilizing special teams to ensure that our rights are being defended? Would activist groups be lobbying for our support? Hell no, we would out on the street without recourse. Way to go, Rocky! It's really good to see you defending the rights of non-Americans to lie, cheat, and steal on our soil!
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