Judge Delays Ruling on Illegal Labor

On Monday, a federal judge of San Francisco extended time to contemplate a temporary ban on cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Judge Charles Breyer of Federal District Court stated he was deciding against the Bush administration in this case. This delay, however, further put off the establishment of a new rule from the Social Security Administration. This rule would have employers follow a series of steps reporting that an employee's identity information matches social security records. If a problem were to arise and it is not clarified within ninety days, the employee is to be fired or the employer would risk knowingly hiring an illegal immigrant. Business owners argue the new rule would hasten new deadlines, and risk firing employees if discordances were not resolved in time.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act was first made law in 1986. The main purpose of the Act was to make it illegal for employers to hire illegal immigrants and ultimately control illegal immigration in the United States. Jobs were to be only for those who legally deserved them; this included American citizens and immigrants authorized to work in the United States. Under this Act, employers are to verify a person's eligibility to work in the country. Employers also had to be cautious of discrimination because of national origin or U.S. citizenship.