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Home » Illegal, but Not Undocumented: Identity Theft, Document Fraud, and Illegal Employment
Illegal, but Not Undocumented: Identity Theft, Document Fraud, and Illegal Employment
This Backgrounder examines illegal immigration-related document fraud and identity theft that is committed primarily for the purpose of employment. It debunks three common misconceptions: illegal aliens are “undocumented;” the transgressions committed by illegal aliens to obtain jobs are minor; and illegal-alien document fraud and identity theft are victimless crimes. It discusses how some community leaders rationalize these crimes, contributing to a deterioration of the respect for laws in our nation, and presents a variety of remedies, including more widespread electronic verification of work status (E-Verify and the Social Security Number Verification Service) and immigrant outreach programs to explain the ramifications and risks of document fraud and identity theft.
The findings include:
* Illegal immigrants are not “undocumented.” They have fraudulent documents such as counterfeit Social Security cards, forged drivers licenses, fake “green cards,” and phony birth certificates. Experts suggest that approximately 75 percent of working-age illegal aliens use fraudulent Social Security cards to obtain employment.
* Most (98 percent) Social Security number (SSN) thieves use their own names with stolen numbers. The federal E-Verify program, now mandated in only 14 states, can detect this fraud. Universal, mandatory use of E-Verify would curb this and stop virtually 100 percent of child identity theft.
* Illegal immigration and high levels of identity theft go hand-in-hand. States with the most illegal immigration also have high levels of job-related identity theft. In Arizona, 33 percent or all identity theft is job-related (as opposed to identity theft motivated simply by profit). In Texas it is 27 percent; in New Mexico, 23 percent; in Colorado, 22 percent; California, 20 percent; and in Nevada, 16 percent. Eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of illegal aliens in their total population are among the top 10 states in identity theft (Arizona, California, Florida, Texas, Nevada, New York, Georgia, and Colorado).
* Children are prime targets. In Arizona, it is estimated that over one million children are victims of identity theft. In Utah, 1,626 companies were found to be paying wages to the SSNs of children on public assistance under the age of 13. These individuals suffer very real and very serious consequences in their lives.
* Illegal aliens commit felonies in order to get jobs. Illegal aliens who use fraudulent documents, perjure themselves on I-9 forms, and commit identity theft in order to get jobs are committing serious offenses and are not “law abiding.”
* Illegally employed aliens send billions of dollars annually to their home countries, rather than spending it in the United States and helping stimulate the American economy. In October 2008 alone, $2.4 billion was transferred to Mexico.
* Tolerance of corruption erodes the rule of law. Corruption is a serious problem in most illegal aliens’ home countries. Allowing it to flourish here paves the way for additional criminal activity and increased corruption throughout society.
* Leaders support perpetrators and ignore victims. Political, civic, religious, business, education, and media leaders blame Americans for “forcing” illegal aliens to commit document fraud and identity theft. No similar concern is expressed for the American men, women, and children whose lives are destroyed in the process.
* The Social Security Administration and Internal Revenue Service facilitate illegal immigrant-driven identity theft. Both turn a blind eye to massive SSN fraud and take no action to stop it. The Social Security Administration assigns SSNs to new-born infants that are being used illegally. The IRS demands that victims pay taxes on wages earned by illegal aliens using their stolen SSNs, while taking no action to stop the identity theft.
* State and local governments need to adopt tougher laws to supplement federal efforts. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is targeting large document fraud rings and the most egregious employers, but their resources are limited and stretched across multiple priorities. In 2007, identity theft cases represented only 7 percent of the total ICE case load.
* Employers must do their part. They can ensure that they have a legal workforce by using a combination of the federal government’s E-Verify and Social Security Number Verification Service systems and by signing up for the federal government’s IMAGE program or privately conducted audits.
July 5th, 2009 at 11:22 am
The silent ones had better emerge from the woodwork? Yes! You know who I’m speaking about? There are millions out there, who don’t condone any kind of a path to citizenship for illegal entrants to our country. The silent ones believe in the Rule of Law” and protecting our country from any enemy Domestic or foreign? They will not speak out till the last minute although they have committed themselves to fight, any fabricated path to citizenship–better known as AMNESTY. The silent ones are not so aggressive and more timid and shy away from the words like bigot, racist and xenophobe. They are none of these things, but are easily intimidated by these devious voices. The majority have surfed the internet and appended the the truth from the lies, flowing from the liberal press, open border, free traders and subversive groups They know these entities have been well funded by the corporate elitists, that insists on a well oiled wagon train of cheap labor from anywhere? They have already corrupted most of our politicians with campaign money and many financial inducements. They don’t care about the hordes of criminals, the drug smugglers or other human garbage, as long as they can exploit the cheap labor?
Now the special interest lobby have to use confusing propaganda and lies, to tailor their agenda so the public will accept this ninth AMNESTY. The masterminds have stated that any path to citizenship means paying back taxes, paying a fine, learning English and the FBI searching for criminal backgrounds. The Obama administration has no intention of processing everyone that comes forward.
The Heritage Foundation admits it would cost $2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS. Where is that paramount of money coming from, when we are in the middle of a very deep recession with a jobless rate reaching near 11 percent? It is time for the quiet ones, to voice their apprehension to the politicians on Capitol Hill. These mostly lawyers and businessman only understand pressure from the general public. Where are we going to accommodate 12 to 20 million low income, poverty stricken families and the onslaught of millions who will certainly appear on the horizon, looking for a job and the American dream? When millions of our own American workers cannot extend their hand to grasp it.
The silent majority must finally speak their mind and demand their rights to halt the illegal immigrant occupation of our country? Tell their local representative or state senator, we want every business and contractor using E-Verify NOW! Make it permanent, not voluntary for everybody. How many more inestimable amount of dollars must the US population spend to support illegal immigration–chain migration–and the millions who will never stop coming without serious enforcement? Is Americans supposed to forever pay for mandatory health care, education and an overbooked prison system for those who steal into our land? THE SILENT ONES SHOULD CALL THEIR POLITICAL PUBLIC SERVANT TODAY–NO AMNESTY! NO MORE FREE HANDOUTS! NUMBERSUSA for the truth.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:47 am
I Will say it again and again our Acting President is a Mysteryman ?? Fromwhat Country ?Fromwhat Citizenship? And does HE practice Black Supremeism? And is He a Muslim? And how is this AMNESTY going to effect HIM and AUNTIES CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS?Lets get all this out in the open then worry about HIS practices?FOR SOME REASON AMNESTY IS BENEFITTING OBAMA?IF HE IS JUST AN HIGH CLASS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT REMOVE HIM LETS DO IT RIGHT IN AMERICA?THIS IS NOT KENYA OR ANY OTHER THIRD WORLD COUNTRY YET?>>>>AN AMERICAN>>THINK AMERICAN BE AMERICAN>>>>>