GoffWilson Immigration bLAWg

Today President Obama gave his first speech directly addressing the topic of Immigration Reform.

Although the President did not outline specific details for moving forward with Immigration Reform, he did emphasize the need and importance of reform. In his speech, President Obama acknowledged the issue as “thorny and emotional,” while stressing his belief that the system is broken.

President Obama said that the U.S. is implementing and improving the system that gives employers the ability to verify their employees‘ immigration status, although he did not provide specific details. He added that businesses who employ illegal immigrants will be held responsible:

“Businesses must be held accountable if they break the law by deliberately hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. We’ve already begun to step up enforcement against the worst workplace offenders. And we’re implementing and improving a system to give employers a reliable way to verify that their employees are here legally. But we need to do more. We cannot continue just to look the other way as a significant portion of our economy operates outside the law.”

For a through overview of President Obama’s speech, visit this article by USA Today. For a complete transcript of his speech, visit the White House website.

As news emerges on this important topic, GoffWilson will keep readers of The Immigration bLAWg updated.

Tagged: E-Verify, I-9 Compliance, Immigration Reform, Immigration speech, Obama's speech, President Obama, reform, undocumented workers, Worksite Enforcement