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The mandate to build double-layered fencing, which was designed to stop not only illegal border-crossers on foot, but also drug-traffickers by car, passed breezily in both chambers and garnered a supportive vote from Hillary Clinton, then in her fifth year as New York’s junior senator.

Trump’s proposal, of course, shows we never actually got what our reps voted for, a scenario known all too well by immigration-control advocates.

While an advisor to former Mexican president Vicente Fox in the early 2000s, Fredo Arias-King led a delegation to discuss immigration policy with members of Congress; what he was told in closed-door exchanges has become lore in restrictionist circles.

Several dozen congressmen from either side of the aisle not only candidly voiced their absolute support for open-borders, but also admitted their active abuse of our immigration laws...

In any case, a reaffirmation of the decade-old Secure Fence Act is likely not even necessary...

The biggest magnet for illegal immigration is employment: the “linchpin” to deterrence according to the former chair of the 1994 Commission on Immigration Reform, Barbara Jordan.

In Mexico, for instance, a relatively wealthy country compared to many other immigration-sources, average wages are just 10 percent of what they are in America. E-Verify would go farthest in securing this linchpin, certainly more so than a longer and higher fence.

Co-administered by DHS and the Social Security Administration, the ‘electronic verification’ system allows employers to verify that their potential employees are actually authorized to work in the country...

Where it’s been most comprehensive, the results have been striking.

When Arizona made E-Verify mandatory in 2008, it was so successful in pushing illegal aliens back home that the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora sent a delegation to Tucson to complain that they couldn’t handle the returning influx.

Their burden was likely vast, judging by the immediate benefits experienced by Arizona. The state’s public school system immediately began experiencing relief with a $50 million surplus suddenly appearing on the books that year. Apartment buildings reported alien-tenants moving out by the thousands (leading, no doubt, to more affordable rents for American residents).

And, although the law went into effect around the time of the financial crisis, when many illegal aliens likely had additional motivations to leave, researchers have found that Arizona had by far the largest decline (20 percent) in illegal-alien figures in the country, breaking the ceiling, no doubt, on long-depressed working-class wages in that state.

Other benefits of the program abound. Since E-Verify uses government data rather than documents provided by potential employees, it removes the possibility of Social Security and identity fraud, a chronically underreported crime that’s created a giant mafia-run black market and which disproportionately hurts American children.

The system also reduces the threat of discrimination against applicants...

But like any law, a federal E-Verify mandate is good only to the extent it’s enforced.

Currently, it is illegal for employers to “knowingly hire” an illegal alien — a prohibition set out in 1986’s Immigration Reform Control Act (IRCA)...

A drywall company in Washington state recently became the first such defendant sentenced in the entire history of that state’s western district court. The attorney for the company pleaded with the judge that IRCA after all was a law “broken daily” and that his client’s “employment practices have been indistinguishable from thousands of other employers nationwide who have ignored IRCA at no peril.”

Returning the country to a nation of laws will require an amped up vigilance on the part of its citizenry. They’ll have to show the political elite that if they continue to ignore the American people, it will be at their peril, not America’s. 

Smith is an attorney in Washington, D.C. Read more about Forget the fence — E-Verify shuts down illegal immigration's magnet

THE DALLES, Ore. (KOIN) – An educational assistant with the North Wasco County School District is in jail and is on paid leave after allegations were made that he inappropriately touched two females, and now his immigration status is coming into question by federal authorities.

Jose Luis Martinez-Robledo is being held at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities (NORCOR) one five counts of harassment.

In addition to the criminal harassment charges, Martinez-Robledo is being held on an immigration hold. A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security said the agency is looking into allegations that Martinez-Robledo may not have been a legal resident of the United States.

ICE confirmed that Martinez-Robledo was previously removed from the United States in 1997. KOIN 6 News has learned that in 1997, Martinez-Robledo tried to fraudulently enter the U.S. He was then arrested, processed for expedited removal and removed from the U.S. the same day. It remains unknown how or when Martinez-Robledo re-entered the U.S.

According to court documents, Martinez-Robledo harassed two separate females between September 1 and October 10. Specific details of the alleged incidents have not been disclosed. However, records show that Martinez-Robledo touched the females’ arms, shoulders or buttocks.

The relationship between Martinez-Robledo and the two females has not been released, nor have their ages.

Robert Dais, the Director of Human Resources at the North Wasco County School District, told KOIN 6 News that Martinez-Robledo remains on paid leave. Martinez-Robledo was hired by the district on Jan. 3, 2015.

In 2006, Martinez-Robledo served as an assistant soccer coach.

According to Dais, in 2006, Martinez-Robledo was investigated by police and the district for inappropriate social interactions with students. The allegations were made by a student. It does not appear any criminal charges were filed in that case.

The district issued of a letter of reprimand to Martinez-Robledo following their investigation, KOIN 6 News has learned.

On Oct. 10, the district learned about a separate police investigation involving Martinez-Robledo. The allegations were made in 2007 and were not school related, according to Dais. Details of the allegations were not released by the district.

Dais tells KOIN 6 News that the district is meeting with the Oregon Educational Association regarding possible disciplinary action for Martinez-Robledo over the new criminal harassment allegations. Those meetings are expected to conclude by Thursday.

Dais said that when Martinez-Robledo was hired, he provided a social security number, driver’s license, and green card. Dais said the district “accepts the documents as provided.”

In 2007-2008, the district moved to an e-verify system that compares information from an employee’s verification documents and data given to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration.

According to ICE, the federal hold they’ve placed on Martinez-Robledo mandates that local authorities notify ICE before his release so ICE can take the opportunity to take him into custody to pursue possible administrative immigration enforcement action.

Martinez-Robledo is due in court Thursday in Wasco County Circuit Court.

Jose Luis Martinez-Robledo is being held at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities (NORCOR). Read more about Immigration holds accused Oregon teacher’s aide

The plaintiffs, two of the laid off Disney workers, claimed that Disney and the two companies they outsourced the jobs to, Cognizant Technology Solutions and HCL America, had conspired to violate visa laws.

Federal Judge Gregory A. Presnell's ruling wasn't too surprising given the fact that existing federal law allows employers to do exactly what Disney did. But Disney's response to the ruling was a bit more appalling given the national fallout since news of the layoffs went public. According to the New York Times:

A spokeswoman for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Jacquee Wahler, said, "As we have said all along, this lawsuit was completely baseless, and we are gratified by the decision."

In other words, Disney is pleased that federal law allows American companies to replace American workers with cheaper, more compliant foreign workers.

Under existing H-1B rules, it's easy for companies like Disney to replace existing American workers with foreign workers. The law allows companies to replace their workers as long as they pay H-1B workers more than $60,000 a year, show that the worker has an advanced degree, and wait at least 90 days between the time the H-1B petition was filed and the replacement date of the American worker.

The waiting period is rarely an issue because the wait time from when an employer files a petition for an H-1B worker and when they receive an affirmative answer is usually more than 90 days. And according to Salary.com, an entry level software engineer in Orlando makes a little more than $61,000 per year, so the wage requirement isn't an issue for most employers either. In reality, the American workers doing the same job are likely making at least 50% more than that, so employers are still saving thousands of dollars by hiring cheaper H-1B workers to replace them.

The H-1B program is one of the most explicit examples of federal immigration policy working against the interests of American workers and the nation as a whole. And yet, Congress has done nothing to address it. In fact, there are more elected officials calling for increases in the H-1B program and an even further loosening of the rules than those who are calling for meaningful reforms that would prioritize American workers.

Supporters of the H-1B program argue that there is a shortage of American workers to fill these jobs and there are adequate protections in place to protect them. But yesterday's ruling undermines that argument. Clearly, the law, as written, allows companies to legally displace American workers, and the Disney example shows that there is no worker shortage.

In these remaining weeks before the general election, we urge you to hold your Members of Congress accountable on this issue and ask what they'll do to put an end to the abuses within the H-1B program. Read more about H-1B ruling proves that existing law allows employers to replace American workers

SEATTLE - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today with the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle. This marks the fourth agreement signed between the federal civil rights agency and Mexican consulates throughout the Pacific Northwest, following signings in Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, Calif.; and Boise, Idaho.

Today in Seattle, Mexican Consul General Dr. Roberto Dondisch and EEOC San Francisco District Director William Tamayo signed an agreement renewing their ongoing partnership to provide Mexican nationals with information, guidance and access to resources on the prevention of discrimination in the workplace, regardless of immigration status.

"There is no better way to honor Labor Day than by signing these MOUs affirming the longstanding and beneficial collaboration between the Mexican consulate and EEOC," said Tamayo. "Together we can work to ensure that vulnerable workers understand their rights and are protected from discrimination."

According to the state's Office of Financial Management's estimates, the Hispanic/Latino population in Washington is 850,276, or 12.2% of the total population. Tamayo noted that EEOC's San Francisco District has recently signed similar agreements with local Mexican Consulates in three other areas with significant Latino populations.

- On Aug. 29, Tamayo met with Consul General Francisco Maass Peña and Consul for Protection and Legal Affairs Heliette González Hernández to sign a landmark MOU with the Mexican Consulate in Portland. The Pew Research Center notes that Oregon has the 19th largest Hispanic population in the nation, with about 496,000 people, or 12% of the total state population.

- Also on Aug. 29, EEOC Deputy Director Michael Connolly and San Francisco Consul Gemí José González launched Labor Rights Week by signing a sequel MOU at a ceremony in San Francisco. Latinos make up 15.3% of the city's numbers and represent California's largest ethnic group, at 39% of the state population.

- On Sept. 2, Tamayo and Consul General Celso Humberto Delgado Ramírez committed to continuing the partnership between the federal agency and consulate in Boise, Idaho. The Idaho State Journal reported that Latinos have the fastest growth rate of any ethnic group statewide at 2.9%, and in 2014 reached 196,502, or 12% of the state's growth.

EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. EEOC's San Francisco District has jurisdiction over Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Northern Nevada and Northern California. Further information about the agency is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov in both English and Spanish, or by calling its toll-free number at 1-800-669-4000. EEOC's toll-free TTY number is 1-800-669-6820. Read more about EEOC Renews Collaborative Agreements With Mexican Consulates in Pacific Northwest

WASHINGTON - Ninety-three percent of the unauthorized immigrants participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program who are eligible to apply for renewal have done so, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) reports in a new issue brief that examines the deferred action program as its fourth anniversary nears.

Since its launch on August 15, 2012, the DACA program has provided temporary relief from deportation and eligibility for work authorization to more than 728,000 young unauthorized immigrants, representing around half-if not more-of the he population MPI estimates is eligible to participate.

Drawing upon a unique methodology that assigns legal status to the foreign born in U.S. Census Bureau population surveys and permits analysis of key sociodemographic characteristics, DACA at Four: Participation in the Deferred Action Program and Impacts on Recipients offers the latest MPI estimates of populations potentially eligible for DACA; presents trends in application rates nationwide and by state, as well as by top countries of origin; and examines the impacts that DACA has had on its recipients.

Using the most current, 2014 Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) data and aging forward those who since have reached the minimum age required to apply for DACA, MPI estimates that 1.3 million young adults ages 15 and older were immediately eligible for DACA as of 2016. This number includes about 250,000 youth who have aged into eligibility since the program’s launch. Comparing these estimates against application data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), MPI estimates that 63 percent of the immediately eligible population (those meeting all the criteria that could be modeled in the data) had applied for DACA as of March 31.

MPI estimates that an additional 398,000 unauthorized youth meet all DACA criteria except for high school completion or school enrollment. These youth can qualify if they enroll in an adult education program (a development that cannot be modeled using Census data). Adding that group to the 1.3 million immediately eligible raises the potentially eligible population to 1.7 million- and as a result lowers the initial application rate to 48 percent. MPI estimates that 228,000 children ages 7 - 14 could become eligible for DACA in the future.

The vast majority of DACA recipients are applying for renewal. MPI estimates 581,000 of the 728,000 recipients of an initial two-year DACA grant have been in the program long enough to apply for renewal, with 539,000 of them doing so to date-a 93 percent renewal rate.

“At its four-year mark, DACA is a large-scale program that has succeeded in attracting broad participation and providing life-altering benefits to many unauthorized youth-as evidenced by the fact that 93 percent of those eligible to apply for renewal have done so,” said brief co-author Faye Hipsman, an MPI policy analyst.

“Still, almost half a million DACA-eligible individuals had not applied as of March 31, 2016, and several hundred thousand more could qualify if they enroll in an adult education program, suggesting that further outreach by service providers could broaden DACA’s reach,” said Randy Capps, who is director of research for U.S. programs.

Among the other findings:

• The DACA-eligible are concentrated in a small number of states, with California, Texas, New York, Florida and Illinois accounting for 59 percent of the 1.7 million who are currently potentially eligible to apply.
• Unauthorized youth from Mexico and Central America, along with Peru, have the highest application rates by country of origin. Mexicans, for example, account for 63 percent of the immediately eligible population but 78 percent of applications as of March. Application rates are generally very low for youth born in Asia, with China not even among the top 25 countries for which USCIS reported application data.
• The states with the highest application rates, exceeding 75 percent for the immediately eligible-Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon and Texas-are all Western states with a predominantly Mexican-born DACA-eligible population. By contrast states with the lowest application rates (below 50 percent) for the immediately eligible- Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Florida-have more diverse unauthorized populations, with Mexicans and Central Americans in the minority.

Read the brief here.

For updated DACA data at U.S., state and county levels, as well as application rates by top countries of origin, check out these updated MPI DACA tools: Read more about MPI Estimates 93% of DACA Enrollees Eligible for Renewal Have Re-Applied; New Brief Offers Latest U.S., State & County Estimates