Immigration Reform Calls for Employment Authorization

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D - Chicago) progressive stance on immigration reform can be found on a recent bill he will introduce to the House in coming weeks.

In an obvious stance for immigration rights, Gutierrez worked closely with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Gutierrez developed the bill to say, "If you come here to hurt our communities, we will not support you, but if you are here to work hard -if you are here to make a better life for your family- you will have the opportunity to earn citizenship."

• The bill would likely enhance the troubles with E-Verify, used now by access the Social Security Adminstration and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure all workers in the US are authorized for employment. E-Verify has come under scrutiny for lag time in updating resources and the reporting of misinformation. In essence, E-Verify is an excellent program that targets employers and holds them responsible for employment decisions.

Among the demands to bill targets to meet are those of improving the verifications for a worker's legal status and a legalization program for unauthorized workers who've been in the US for more than 5 years and meet other criteria.

Not everyone agrees with these ideas. “Amnesty for illegal aliens is what this is all about,” said Dave Gorak, executive director of the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration. “When you reward people for breaking law you only encourage other to do same,” he said.