Houston Businesses Protest No-Match Rule Of Homeland Security

Houston, TX (AHN) - Business owners and labor leaders in Houston warned that the Department of Homeland Security's revised version of its no-match rule may result to a shortage of workers and consequently slow down the region's economy. In the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area alone, the 250,000 undocumented workers contribute $27 billion to the regional economy.

The new rules punishes employers who hire workers whose names do not match their Social Security numbers.

To lobby against the DHS rule, the Greater Houston Partnership created the Americans for Immigration Reform. The task of AIR would be to revive comprehensive immigration reform bills in Congress. To fund the operations of the lobby group, the Partnership plans to employ 10 staff who will raise $15 million to $20 million from the Houston business community.

Jeff Moseley, president and chief executive officer of the partnership, told the Houston Chronicle, "We're getting a strong contribution from this work force to our economy and the consequence of removing 1 of 10 workers would be extremely chilling to our economy - it would take us down to our knees."

The partnership counts 1,800 member firms. Moseley said the majority of the undocumented workers were in the construction, manufacturing, professional and business services, accommodation and food services, and other services.

Meanwhile, New York and Arizona have other novel ways of cutting their immigrant population, primarily those behind bars. Officials from the two states proposed reducing the sentences of some immigrant prisoners so they can be deported immediately. The shortening of sentences would save the two states millions of dollars.

Julie Myers, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said it costs the federal government an average of $95 each day to keep an illegal immigrant until he is deported.

It would only cover non-violent immigrants, both with legal and illegal status. Myers told USA Today, "This program does not apply to your rapists, your murderers, your serious criminals."