03/28/08 No-match rule hearing today

Washington Ag March 28, 2008 The Department of Homeland Security recently issued a supplemental No-Match rule to address issues cited in a Federal District Court judge enjoining the original rule from being enforced. No-Match letters inform employers that an employee's name does not match the social security number on file and the rule outlines procedures employers must follow to be given safe harbor from enforcement action. The rule is of great concern to agricultural employers of seasonal labor. Dan Fazio of the Washington State Farm Bureau says the new proposed rule isn't much different from what Homeland Security initially proposed and will be the subject of a Federal Court hearing today. Fazio: "The judge can rule right from the bench on the 28th and state I am going to lift the injunction or not, or at that time listen to the arguments of counsel and take it under advisement and get back to you in a week or two or however long it takes to issue a ruling. So a lot of people feel that the judge is not going to lift the injunction." Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff says they are serious about immigration enforcement. He says the No-Match rule is an important tool for cracking down on illegal hiring practices while providing honest employers with the guidance they need. I'm Bob Hoff.