(Washington, D.C. Nov 19) The following is a joint statement released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform and Minnesotans for Immigration Reform.

"The recent apprehension and detention of illegal aliens formerly employed by the Holiday Inn Express Hotel in Minneapolis is the consequence of both deplorable border deterrence and interior immigration enforcement, and is a microcosm of an immigration system which has spun out of control," charged Dan Stein, the Executive Director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

Stein noted that the situation in Minneapolis was an example of flagrant violations of laws which have been on the books for decades and urged the public and media to consider the following facts in its analysis of the arrests of the illegal aliens and subsequent legal actions:

• The illegal aliens who were apprehended had violated U.S. immigration laws and should be promptly deported. Allowing those who violate immigration laws to remain and work in the United States simply encourages more illegal immigration.

• If Holiday Inn Express knowingly hired illegal aliens, they have violated federal laws against such practices and should be duly sanctioned.

• If Holiday Inn Express committed illegal union-busting, retaliatory discharge or other employment violations, they should face investigations and sanctions as current labor laws mandate.

Marilyn Larson, leader of the Minnesota-based immigration reform organization, noted that illegal immigrants, who are estimated to number more than 6 million in the U.S., have historically been used as a tool against organized labor. "Unions have been a strong ally of immigration enforcement throughout our history because traditionally, big business has used illegal aliens as tools for driving down wages and busting up unions," Larson said.

Current labor laws protect the rights of workers who democratically decide to join unions to strengthen their ability to collectively negotiate. Those protections, however, hinge on the legal right of a worker to be employed in this country. "Participation in union activities can never protect illegal alien workers from detention and deportation, any more than it protects workers who have violated other federal laws," added Stein.

Stein urged Local 17 to not allow itself to be used as a pawn by special interest groups who seek to undermine immigration enforcement in general. "If we stop illegal immigration, exploitation of workers will drop dramatically, because those who are working here legally are not afraid to unveil workplace abuse to the proper authorities," he noted.

FAIR 11/99