Tulsa World (Oklahoma), November 11, 2005, Friday

Copyright 2005 The Tulsa World
Tulsa World (Oklahoma)

November 11, 2005 Friday
Final Home Edition

SECTION: News; Oklahoma; Government; Pg. A11

HEADLINE: 'Cheap labor' is called costly

BYLINE: MARIE PRICE World Capitol Bureau

BODY:
Illegal immigration tough on economy, legislators told OKLAHOMA CITY -- Illegal immigration costs millions of dollars a year in health care, food stamps and education and depresses the labor market, a joint legislative study panel was told Thursday.
"There's nothing more expensive than cheap labor," said Professor Vernon Briggs, an economist at Cornell University in New York. "The taxpayers pay a very heavy cost."
Briggs said 12 million or more illegal workers could be in the United States. He said this is due to lax enforcement of federal immigration laws, the results of which fall to state and local governments to address.
The number of apprehensions of illegal immigrants burgeoned from 1.6 million during the 1960s to 14 million in the 1990s, Briggs added.
Nico Gomez of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority said the state's Medicaid agency spent $7.8 million on services for illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2005, of which $2.35 million was state funds.
He said the funding provided emergency-type health services to 3,567 people, mainly for labor and delivery services.
A key problem, Briggs said, is that businesses that employ illegal workers place companies that play by the rules at a competitive disadvantage.
Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, requested the study along with House Majority Leader Lance Cargill, R-Harrah.
The existing situation is "unfair to the workers and it's unfair to companies that follow the law," Adelson said.
Cargill agreed.
"The state should do more to help hard-working Oklahomans who play by the rules and stop rewarding those who don't," he said.
Briggs said companies that hire illegal immigrants can pay them much lower wages, deny them benefits and refuse to pay employment-related taxes.
He said illegal immigrants work harder for lower pay, squeezing out low-skilled Americans who compete for the same jobs.
Michael Hethmon, senior staff counsel for the Federation of American Immigration Reform, said immigration regulation is a federal issue, but the states can take some enforcement steps within the parameters of federal law.
Hethmon said these actions can include requiring verification of lawful presence, as defined by federal law. The state also can require state and local law enforcement authorities to enforce federal immigration laws, he added.
Adelson filed legislation last session that would sanction busi nesses that employ illegal immigrants. Senate Bill 510 stalled in the Senate, however.
He plans to push his "Oklahoma Fair Employment Act" again this coming session.
It would authorize workers who are U.S. citizens to take legal action against companies that fire them while keeping illegal employees on the job.
The bill would prohibit the deduction of wages paid to illegal immigrants as a business expense and suspend the certificate of incorporation of any enti ty that violates the act.
It also would require that businesses contracting with the state enroll in a federal electronic verification of work authorization program run by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Rep. Kevin Calvey, R-Del City, said later that he will file legislation requiring state employees to report to federal authorities instances of illegal immigration they encounter in the course of their employment.
Marie Price (405) 528-2465
marie.price@tulsaworld.com