Illegal Aliens

Jobs are a magnet drawing illegal aliens to the United States. Many immigration experts believe that reducing the availability of employment for illegal aliens must be a central part of any comprehensive strategy to reduce illegal immigration. Significant numbers of aliens unauthorized to work in the United States have used fraudulent documents to circumvent the employment verification process. Employers seeking to comply with the law can be deceived by these fraudulent papers, while those seeking "cheap labor" can intentionally hire unauthorized aliens under the guise of having complied with the employment verification process. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has taken steps to improve the employment verification process, yet considerable obstacles remain. Worksite enforcement efforts by INS and the Department of Labor have been limited, and INS' employer investigation efforts have yielded modest results. INS is changing its approach to worksite enforcement, but it is too soon to gauge its success.

GAO noted that: (1) significant numbers of aliens unauthorized to work in the United States have used fraudulent documents to circumvent the employment verification process designed to prevent employers from hiring them, thereby undermining the effectiveness of the process; (2) employers seeking to comply with the law can be deceived by fraudulent documents, while those seeking cheap labor can intentionally hire unauthorized aliens under the guise of having complied with the employment verification requirements; (3) INS and the Department of Labor's immigration-related worksite enforcement efforts have been limited, and INS' employer investigation efforts have produced modest results; and (4) INS is changing its approach to worksite enforcement, but it is too early to gauge its success.