Rep. Lamar S. Smith (R-TX)

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/education/97745-dream-act-is-a-nightmare

Illegal immigration hurts lower skilled citizens and legal immigrants

Washington, DC – Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Congressman Gary Miller (R-CA), both members of the newly-formed “Reclaim American Jobs Caucus” issued the following statement today in response to a report commissioned by the Chicago Urban League and the Alternative Schools Network. Among other findings, the study found:

“During the course of the 2007-2009 recession, the employment rate of the nation’s teen[s] feel steeply to 26.2% by October-November 2009, setting new record lows each year. No other age group has experienced employment declines of this magnitude in the current recession. Young adults 20-24 years old in both Illinois and the nation also have been adversely affected by the deterioration in labor market developments in the state and nation in recent years, especially men, Blacks and Hispanics, and non-college graduates.”

Representatives Smith and Miller noted that these are the same Americans who often face the most competition for jobs from illegal immigrants.

Ranking Member Smith: “The fact is that illegal immigrants take jobs from American workers, particularly poor and disadvantaged citizens and legal immigrants. The best outcome for low-skilled citizen and legal immigrant workers is the removal of the illegal immigrant population. The very jobs that illegal immigrants occupy rightfully belong to out of work citizens and legal immigrants.

“**With 15 million Americans out of work, we need to enforce immigration laws and oppose amnesty for 12 million illegal immigrants. We must stand up for citizens and legal immigrants.” ** Congressman Miller: “At home in California, almost weekly I hear from my constituents that illegal immigration is exacerbating the unemployment crisis. Today’s report that a record number of young Americans are jobless once again highlights the fact that we must enforce our current immigration laws to ensure illegals do not take away jobs that rightfully belong to American and legal workers.”

http://lamarsmith.house.gov/Read.aspx?ID=1298

Washington, Jun 15 -

The Department of Homeland Security today announced that it will stop deporting and begin giving work permits to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) criticized the Obama administration’s announcement in the statement below.

Chairman Smith: “President Obama’s decision to grant amnesty to potentially millions of illegal immigrants is a breach of faith with the American people. It also blatantly ignores the rule of law that is the foundation of our democracy. This huge policy shift has horrible consequences for unemployed Americans looking for jobs and violates President Obama’s oath to uphold the laws of this land.

“President Obama’s amnesty only benefits illegal immigrants, not Americans, and is a magnet for fraud. Many illegal immigrants will falsely claim they came here as children and the federal government has no way to check whether their claims are true. And once these illegal immigrants are granted deferred action, they can then apply for a work permit, which the Administration routinely grants 90% of the time.

“How can the Administration justify allowing illegal immigrants to work in the U.S. when millions of Americans are unemployed? President Obama and his administration once again have put partisan politics and illegal immigrants ahead of the rule of law and the American people. With this track record, it’s looking more likely that even President Obama may lose his job in this economy when Americans go to the polls this November.”

http://lamarsmith.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=299635