ACLU, AFL-CIO conspire to thwart immigration enforcement

Washington Post:

A federal judge yesterday barred the Bush administration from launching a crackdown Tuesday on U.S. employers who hire illegal immigrants while she considers a lawsuit by the AFL-CIO that charges that the plan will harm citizens and other legal workers.

The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney in San Francisco, prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from starting to mail notices to 140,000 employers about suspect Social Security numbers. The "no- match" letters warn of penalties employers face by having discrepancies in their paperwork.

The order was a victory for the labor federation and the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed suit alleging that DHS is overstepping its authority to enforce immigration laws and is misusing a Social Security Administration database. They allege that the letters are an effort to pressure businesses to fire workers whose documents are flagged and could expose countless immigrant workers -- including law-abiding citizens and legal residents -- to job discrimination.

Chesney granted the request for a temporary restraining order against the government, saying the court needs "breathing room" before issuing a decision on the DHS plan. She set a hearing for Oct. 1.

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The argument seems bogus on its face. If someone has a non matching social security number they can either fix it or self deport if they are not in the country legally. If they are here legally it is their responsibility to make sure they have a valid Social Security Number. They are not hard to get if you are citizen.

I think this is a case brought in bad faith and the judge should consider sanctions against the ACLU and AFL-CIO for pursuing the matter. They should also be required to pay court costs.