There is Labor shortages continue, This makes it extremely difficult for small businesses to find and retain qualified workers. I wonder if President-elect Trump will do the same. Imminent deportation of illegal immigrants What's the additional headache for some of these employers?
Let's hope so.
President Trump has made it clear that he is going after immigrants who are in the country illegally. After taking office, he not only imposed; strict border measures But we will embark on a historic mass deportation of millions of illegal immigrants, starting with those who have committed crimes. “If you're in this country illegally in the next six months, pack your bags because you're going home,'' said Vance, soon to be vice president. said in september.
Some academics are concerned about the impact mass deportations will have on businesses. “That huge shock would cost trillions of dollars in economic growth and hundreds of thousands of American jobs,” said Michael Clemens, an economics professor at George Mason University. said. told the New York Times. “Inflation will rise rapidly because the ability of U.S. businesses to supply goods and services will decline faster than demand will fall.”
I don't know what Professor Clemens means when he says “Aboriginals,” but I think I understand his concern. Many companies that employ immigrants may find themselves short of workers if immigrants are deported, and therefore will have difficulty accepting them. request.
I say, boohoo. Because what is clear here is that these workers should never have been hired in the first place. Should we be worried about companies suffering from reduced “capacity” because they lose illegally hired workers? I'm not crying. Neither should you.
It may not be necessary to write this, but hiring illegal workers is illegal, and the penalties are heavy, both civil and criminal. Companies that have turned a blind eye to the legality of their employees during the (alleged) Biden administration would do well to start working on their paperwork now.
Businesses should ensure that they complete and retain a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, for each employee who is required to complete the form. People who continue to employ illegal workers will face Fines range from $230 to $4,610 per worker, and possible jail time if there is a “pattern and practice” of such conduct.
Don't you think this is serious? Next, you may want to ask the Philadelphia tree service company owner: paid $95 million In 2017, “the highest levels of management remained intentionally blind and lower-level management related to schemes to hire and rehire employees known to be ineligible to work in the United States.'' After pleading guilty to “illegal employment of foreign nationals,” he was fined.
Oh, and media exposure certainly doesn't help a company's brand much either.
Even under the Biden administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been overwhelmed by companies violating immigration employment laws. In 2020, ICE attacked a shipyard 19 illegal immigrants arrested in New Orleans. In April of this year, the agency found that: 100 illegal workers It's a Tennessee company, and many of its employees are children. ICE found workplace violations mississippi, texas, California, virginia, north carolina There are other states where employers deliberately ignore immigration laws.
Will these and similar companies be affected by President Trump's immigration crackdown? On behalf of the vast majority of clients who are actually (gasp!) law-abiding, I certainly hope so. Because, unfortunately, they are now being punished for doing the right thing by the market, not the government.
Owners I know of landscaping, construction, and manufacturing businesses, where hourly workers are most common and immigrant workers are often used, require documentation under the Fair Labor Standards Act. And because they pay their workers fair and legal wages, they are losing business to less scrupulous competitors. Workers I know have endured immigration checks to obtain legal documents, only to be robbed of income and opportunity by undocumented workers who have taken their jobs.
Ask business leaders across the country and you'll find that most agree, regardless of political leaning, that our immigration system is broken and needs reform. We need updated legislation that establishes a process that provides a path to citizenship for all types of immigrants. The majority also recognized that granting “citizenship” to certain groups of illegal immigrants would enrage those who were not given the same accommodations when they applied. Things won't be fair. Some people may be upset.
In the long run, future generations will be best served by doing everything in their power to make things right, even at the expense of some people. But it must start with the deportation of illegal aliens. It will be painful for those who are here and are not criminals, just trying to find a better life for themselves and their families. I feel sorry for these people.
Also, deporting millions of people in the country illegally would have a negative impact on the many businesses that employ them illegally. I have no pity for those people.
Gene Marks is the founder of The Marks Group, a small business consulting firm.
