Policy Analysis: Interior Enforcement of the Employment of Immigrants

Criminal Justice

History of the Problem and Need for Change

Problem Scope.

In 2004, three U.S. companies were issued penalty notices by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for knowingly employing unauthorized workers (Porter, 2006). At the time, demographers estimated that six to seven million illegal immigrants were employed in the America -- that number is approximately equivalent to 5% of the U.S. workforce (Porter, 2006). In 2007, DHS reported that 275,000 non-citizen immigrants were caused to leave the U.S. By DHS action (Lee, 2009). In 2009, the unauthorized immigrant population was believed to stand at approximately 12 million (Lee, 2009). In April 2009, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, instructed United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intensify targeted investigation of employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers. During 2010, ICE broke its record for...
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