Illegal Immigration News

Today's Illegal Immigration News Thursday, May 3, 2012 FRESH RAIDS HONE IN ON ILLEGAL HIRING As of March 29, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered 500 companies “of all sizes and types” to submit their hiring records for inspection to determine whether or not the businesses are hiring illegal immigrants. In addition to obtaining I-9 forms and other documentation for review, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are joining forces to conduct raids on business across the country suspected of hiring illegal immigrants. A recent raid on a Waste Management facility in northwest Houston netted 16 illegal immigrants, seven of whom were from Mexico and the others from various South American countries. Waste Management blamed third-party temporary staffing companies as none of the individuals arrested were officially Waste Management employees. LA PROGAM OFFERS HEALTHCARE FOR ILLEGAL RESTAURANT WORKERS The Los Angeles Times reports that a Los Angeles community clinic and a restaurant workers’ groups have partnered  in a program to provide inexpensive healthcare coverage for illegal immigrants (and other uninsured food service workers) who are excluded from the mandates and penalties of Obama’s federal healthcare reform. Likely the first of its kind in the nation, the program offers preventative, primary and dental care to about 75,000 restaurant workers who don’t have access to insurance because of their immigration status. Uninsured workers pay $25 a month so they can go to one of several clinics run by St. John’s Well Child and Family Center. Joseph Villela, senior policy advocate with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles are hoping it will help illegal immigrants receive the preventative care and treatment they need without going to expensive emergency rooms.  As far as funding is concerned, Jim Mangia, the clinic’s president and chief executive, said many of the workers’ children are covered by Medi-Cal offsetting the cost of care for the adults and the new program also received some grant money.