This is Not Xenophobia, This is "National Security"
12/10/2005
by Anai Rhoads and Chris Ford
"This is not xenophobia. This is not racism. This is national security." -- U.S. Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ).
The United States was founded as a nation of immigrants. Unfortunately, a new reform bill sitting before Congress would forever change the face of
immigration in the United States.
Dubbed "Enforcement First" by the bill's author, Arizona Representative and former sportscaster J.D. Hayworth, the bill is a dream come true for the anti-immigration movement because of its harsh penalities and open hostility towards Mexican immigrants.
The Enforcement First Immigration Reform Act of 2005 (H.R. 3938) was introduced on 28
September 2005 by Hayworth and supported by 23 original co-sponsors, which includes the darling of hate groups, Congressman Tom Tancredo
(R-CO).
Describing the migration of people to the U.S. as an "invasion" (the favored term of border vigilantes and the white power movement), Hayworth has
made it his mission to spearhead a racially motivated agenda under the guise of "national security".
Hayworth's bill would put a three-year moratorium on visas for Mexican workers, the primary target of anti-immigration groups. It also reduces the number of
family sponsored immigrant visas that may be issued to Mexican citizens.
Under this bill, no new Mexican workers will be permitted to enter the country for employment. Anyone caught in the U.S. without documentation would be found
guilty of a felony, fined under title 18, U.S. Code, imprisoned not less than 1 year and a day, or both and have their names listed in
National Crime Information Center database.
The fine for employers who hire undocumented workers will be raised from $10,000 to $50,000 for each worker hired and jail terms would be increased from six
months to a maximum of five years. Companies that knowingly file false W-2 information will be fined $500 per infraction and up to a maximum limit of $2.5
million.
The bill requires that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Labor, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) report violators to
Congress annually. If the Bill is passed, there will also be an additional 10,000 Department of Homeland Security personnel to ensure that employers do not
hire these workers.
Rep. Hayworth seeks to increase the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border by adding least 10,000 new enforcement agents and authorizing the military to
participate in civilian law enforcement activities along the border. He also calls for the construction of new infrastructure projects, such as all-weather
roads, new border walls, and the installation of additional surveillance equipment, adding to the further destruction of the fragile border environment.
Under this bill, State and local enforcement officers will not only have their typical assignments, but will also become immigration
enforcers, much like the idea of the CLEAR Act H.R. 2671. Most local law enforcement agencies are opposed to these types of provisions because they discourage
crime victims from seeking police assistance.
Hayworth proposes taxing the income workers send to their families in Mexico, essentially taxing them twice since most undocumented workers already pay
state and federal income taxes and contribute to the Social Security tax.
Although Hayworth claims he is not racist, consider that he Voted to end preferential treatment by race
in college admissions in May 1998, was rated 7 percent in December 2002 by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for his anti-civil
rights voting record, voted Yes on military border patrols citing it would prevent drug trafficking and terrorism,
voted to report undocumented workers who attempt to receive any medical treatment in the U.S. in May 2004, in December 2000 he even
added his two cents regarding foreign aid - saying he considered such support more harmful than helpful, and has received a 100 percent approval
rating from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an organization notorious for its affiliation with the white power movement.
Most experts agree that any effective immigration reform must allow much-needed workers to legally seek employment in the U.S. and
provide immunity for those who have already crossed the border. Hayworth's racially motivated legislation would create a nightmare situation by displacing
families, removing children from schools, and incarcerating thousands of people who have come to the U.S. merely to work and make a better life for their
families.
Copyright ©2005 Chris Ford and Anai Rhoads.
Chris Ford is the co-founder and former co-director of the Tucson-based Border Action Network and is a writer and consultant with the American Civil
Liberties Union (ACLU). Anai Rhoads is a freelance human rights journalist, with a special interest in racial and religious profiling as well as Middle East issues.
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