There are potential risks and fines for violators. In addition to fines, companies that fail to verify or certify employee eligibility run the risk of having workers detained and deported. The INS has stepped up workplace inspections in recent years, particularly in industries that employ large numbers of foreign workers. The INS removed 78,291 illegal aliens during the first six months of fiscal year 1998, up 78 percent over the same period a year earlier. Increases in the agency's budget and the hiring of more enforcement officers likely will continue the trend.
Work is the incentive that brings illegal immigrants into our country.
Increased enforcement activity was prompted largely by opposition to illegal immigration in California and Texas, where a large influx of foreigners has taxed educational and other social programs, and incited a backlash from native residents. In 1994, California voters passed Proposition 187, which barred undocumented immigrants access to public education and other social services provided by the state. A federal court ruled the public education ban unconstitutional. Despite opposition to illegal immigration and government efforts to tighten the borders, more than 1 million people enter the country legally and illegally each year. These immigrants help fill the void when the labor market is tight.