John Conyers: “the motion I am offering would instruct conferees to retain the provisions in the Senate-passed bill that provides for…”

“the motion I am offering would instruct conferees to retain the provisions in the Senate-passed bill that provides for 350 additional Department of Labor wage and hour inspectors and staff to enforce violations of the Federal wage and hour laws. It is no more complicated and no less simple than that. The reason is that the cornerstone of our efforts to control immigration must be to shut off the job magnet that draws so many undocumented aliens into the country. Increasing border patrols is of course important, but that can be done through the appropriations process, as we have been doing for the last 2 years. But it is imperative that we enhance the authority to prosecute those employers who knowingly hire illegal workers instead of American workers. For example, we know that each year more than 100,000 foreign workers enter the work force by overstaying their visas. No amount of border enforcement will deter this, since they enter legally with passports and visas. No amount of border enforcement will deter the desire, the magnet that draws people into this country, and that is to seek jobs. The only way to deter this form of illegal immigration is in the workplace, by denying them jobs.”