Employers fear they’ve hired illegal workers

I am a union drywall finisher,who is currently unemployed, thanks to all the illegals, who seem to be getting all the work,ive been in the trade for 30 yrs,i'm very fast and very good,but my quality of life isnt getting any better,there would be plenty of work, for the white native american worker, who has lived and worked here there whole life,The illegals are taking over our trade,obama could create 12 million jobs by deporting them back to mexico

Why is it that i have to carry around an ID and present it at any time, when illegal immigrants can just hang around corner stores -bombarding people who drive up swarming like cockroaches for work-without any repercussions from the police that walk into that SAME store to buy their daily coffee... ridiculous!

yea i hope they get enough people to sign then we won"t have to argue with the northwest chicano or people with all there fake i.d.papers which is the biggest form of crime in our country today.....i.d. fraud..

I"m a union drywall finisher in seattle,have been for 15yrs,and our local 1144, 300,1964,have now hired at least 5,000illegal drywall finishers,and carpenters and more are coming every minute ,it will make are st. like calif,arizona, etc. where no one in the trades make any money,you have hispanic contractors out bidding work so cheap and with no intention of paying there taxes,this is for real ,there is alist that the feds put out with all of the names of contractors who owe 100s and 1000s in back taxes,and its all hispanics,I was a formen for huge drywall co. with 110 employees ,all mexicans,and all illegal ,after 5yrs. were all friends I kinow it was probly bad to live in mexico, but we still need to get a hold of this, It is ruining are way of life here ... pretty soon our unions won"t be anygood and all our wages will be ruined like florida ,lots of states don"t pay anything for const. trades anymore

I think we need to stop using illegals in the union constuction industry,before it ruins are way of life here in wash.st they have allready ruined nonunion const. with there cheap labor now its hard to make money

You know there are some Illegals who are making the best out of this situation. For many it is not their fault that their parents brought them over and now they have been raised in the American society. WOW. SOME of them are even attending college!!! Should these be subject to deportation since they are on a path to becoming a contributing member of society that is if they are not on already. How do they work? (Geez thats hard) They find jobs, and are becoming educated so that they may fight this in justice that is just becoming obsured. I'm for immigration to the extent that not all of them are criminals from mexico, some come for a better future. One must walk a mile in their shoes before they should give a judgement. The ones that are criminals send them back! If they do their taxes, pay bills, own a house, go to college, then they are pretty much "American"(what ever this means)

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my previous posting - and I will elaborate - I am for legal immigration. But when someone from another country comes illegally to the United States and refuses to become part of this society and demands to be catered to in their native language and then waves the mexican flag in US streets as has happened in Burlington demanding free health care and food and education - Thats what I have a problem with - I DON"T want to pay for the world to come here.... This country can't afford the costs. Why do you want a class of people who choose to break the law on a daily basis as citizens?

Chris S, Seems like you are just frustated with bilingual and biliterate people. Perhaps because you feel less prepared for the gobal world out there. Again, I-409 has nothing to do with the issues you bring up. I apreciate the people of our armed forces and I thank you for your service, and to give me the right to be free, to be a proud Chicano, American and biligual/biliterate person.

Where do I sign? I went to the post office today in burlington wa and the counter person starts speaking spanish to the customer next to me - the Clerk got very rude to me when I asked what country are we in and why don't you speak English as I didn't spend 20 years in the Navy to have a group of people who refuse to become a part of this Country and contribute and not drain our economy with the demands of free social services all illegal aliens make. "Welcome to America we speak ENGLISH here." a

Also L.R.O.L.A.A.W.S, the measure doesn't even appear to address your point about migration to the U.S. Rather, it emphasizes the presence of those already here. The larger discourse merits more analysis than mere slogans about 'legality.' Do I hear anyone addressing the economic institutions that draw labor here in the first place? Simply abolish Free Market Capitalism in the U.S. and you'll see a different result. Of course considering this won't happen anytime soon it's also important to point out that simple propositions veiled in not so subtle racism will not work. Furthermore, you also have to look at the fact that most people do in fact come here legally. what happens is that many overstay their visas. So...by that logic shouldn't the MCDC be patrolling airports? To assume all undocumented people (only half of whom are of Mexican Ancestry) crossed the southern border, is as racist and shortsighted as you can get in discussing policy. We can thank the leaders for dumbing it down.

Interesting proposition you bring up, L.R.O.L.A.A.W.S. First off, I'm glad things worked out with your parents. The matter of migration from one place to another is something often overlooked. In effect, people don't move solely to move. There are various push-pull factors at play that are important to consider (i.e., fleeing war, repression, adverse conditions, etc.). Your parents are some of the privileged few that were able to get documentation. The system itself is grossly backlogged. That said, if you were in a position where your life was in danger, would any of you stay behind, waiting 10, in some cases 20 years to get seen? Or would you make the ultimate difficult choice of moving, knowing damn well that there is no guarantee that your life circumstances will improve? Also, many of these people don't ask for anything. In fact, it was increased racial bigotry that forced many of them to take to the streets in support of basic human rights.

Are you kidding me? Being anti-ILLEGAL immigration is not being anti-immigration. Immigration is an incredible thing that helps make this country a great place. My parents are from South and Central America (and my mother came from a poverty that most Americans couldn't even imagine) and they came to the U.S. to live out the American Dream -- and they did. Legally. What gives someone who commits a crime the moment they step into this country the right to demand any benefits from the U.S.? It's hard for me to understand that self-entitled mentality because I think of how I would behave if I went to a new country. I would love to have all the benefits given to citizens, but if I hadn't earned it through legal citizenship, then how could I ever possibly demand it? I'm all for immigration, but it must be done legally because the U.S. is not a shelter for the entire world. We must take care of our own citizens before we can can take care of everyone else's cast-offs. It's sad but true.

In addition to the aforementioned initiative's lack of basic human descency and clarity of thought, it is also devoid of basic logic. Honestly, it is not economically feasible to remove an approximate 12 million people (roughly the pop. of Ohio). Also of course, is the matter that this populace is the primary workforce in the largely agricultural-based economies of the American West. Unless your willing to go out and harvest your own vegetables (oh, and bring along 12 million of your closest friends while your at it) this is just a grossly redundant conversation. And if you weren't already aware, we are presently engaged in two highly-costly wars. I'm sure the fiscal conservatives amongst you would love to pay more. And still, it is the right wing and their chickenhawk neo-connies that put us in this position. To take more of the same advice from this group is stupendously idiotic. Wow...the cognitive dissonance of the right in this matter just simply defies all logic.

From reading a few posts below, it is quite obvious we have an inarticulate, xenophobic bunch preaching anti-immigrant vitriol. Please do us a favor and refrain from tired 'righty' slogans. Not only does it make you appear oblivious to reality, but also brings down our IQ's in the process.

Wow..as I read your comments all I can tell from the majority of the readers of this column is that you are a bunch of uneducated idiots. Have you ever stopped to think, well.. I don't know.. Why would someone risk their life, leave their family and come to a country where people like yourselves constantly put you down and kick you while you struggle to get up? well guess what, it is not the beauty of this country or the hospitality of the people that attracts them but the horrors they go through and the situation they live in other countries that drives them to come to a place,someone one day said, was better, free and full of oportunities. What do you expect them to do? Stay in the same situation, starving and dying without even trying to make it better? It is not that easy, and your comments are driven by ignorance,anger and the stupid idea that somehow you are more worthy of a priviledge than in the first place should not have even been awarded to you to beggin with Give me a break

If you think that undocumented people are elegible to vote by just having a driver license, you must have not read a voter registration form in a looooong time. The voter registration forms ask for a lot more than just a DL. Also, they are subject to verification. The form itself states that is a felony to provide false information, something that Undocumented people wont risk on doing because that would make them felons, and of course, subjet to imediate deportation. I-409 is wrong in so many ways, it makes my head hurt! and most of the ignorant comments in this forum make me sick. Please educate yourselves before talking smack.

We signed this in Yakima a few weeks ago...We sure hope they get the signatures they need. Lets see, Washington gives driver licenses to illegals and they don't verify citizenship when they sign up for the voter registration....We gonna have another gubnatorial mess this fall. Gregoire won by what 334 votes after the recounts and the court mess?? Illegals like dems. We are again going to have a governor that we have no idea if the CITIZENS of this state voted in. Vote Rossi, and... Find the petition and sign it!!!

I agree, all of you who had parents or grandparents not born in the US, please pack up and leave---my ancestors came in the 1500s--still don't think I get to stay. Only the American Indians--and, of course, mnay of those in the Southwest US were part of Mexico until the US terrorized and took the land away....get a gripe

Here's your chance in Washington to take your state back from the corrupt business lobbies and ethnic identity groups which run your state. If Visa and Mastercard can run my business and FedEx can find any package in 5 minutes, the Feds should just be outsourced on immigration. The can't do Feds can't run a war right, can't live within a budget, can't deliver the mail consistantly and can't get their trains to make a buck, they are useless running anything but their mouths. Throw 'em all out in November.

Where do I sign?

THERE WILL BE NO AMNESTY!!! OUR ACCEPTABLE IMMIGRATION REFORM #1. Secure the Border!!! #2. Mandate E-Verify for ALL Employees!!! #3. Mandate E-Verify for ANY Benefit!!! #4. Stop the Underground Economy!!! #5. End Birthright Citizenship for Illegals!!! ......and make it retroactive!!! #6. End Chain Migration!!! #7. Make English our Official Language!!! #8. Cut Off Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities!! NOTHING MORE!!! NOTHING LESS!!!

Come November, choose your rep and senators carefully. Vote the bums out who are pro-amnesty and pro-open borders. This is very important since both Obama and McCain are pro-illegals. In fact, for the first time in all my years of voting, I can't bring myself to vote for either the republican or democrat. I'll have to see if there is a worthy third party candidate. Otherwise I will vote to reelect my rep. He voted against amnesty in '86 and is still against amnesty. I've also donated money to his campaign.

The Anti-American Illegals Coalition: Corrupt greedy business groups, ethno-centric racists, and a sprinkling of Tamor Jacoby style wackjobs who despise the people of their own country. Could you possibly make an uglier stew? It's a testament to the raw power of business money that they even exist openly in this country and exert serious influence. This is not the kind of country I was born into, and I'm not that old.

I support The Minutemen and woman! I hope they gather enough signatures to get rid of all these illegal aliens. Automatic birthright for babies of illegal aliens should also be stopped! If you get rid of jobs, benefits, and drivers licenses. We might get rid of them.

Your colum is misleading, there is no such thing as a Illegal Immigrant, under the law anyone who is in this country Illegally from another country is a "Illegal Alien". Please keep to the topic, and correct this statement, it shows a bias in your writting skills.

There is no reason to keep this people for so long wasting time and money DEPORT THEM ASAP,caught and return to sender.

Send them back the day after they are caught!!!!!

Businesses have nothing to fear if they knowlingly hire American and legal workers. If they use E-Verify, although not a perfect system, it will give them a good idea if their workers are legal. I don't buy this "I didn't know" BS. If the majority of your work force is Hispanic and none of them speak English, its a pretty good chance that they are not legal. Businesses are greedy and not willing to pay a decent salary with benefits, so hiring an illegal gives them the upper hand...that is until ICE come knocking. I hope they continue and expand the raids to send a message to these corrupt businesses. Send the owners and managers to prison for awhile and maybe that will send the message.

We need to get rid of all of those communist minimum wage laws so Americans can compete with illegal immigrants!