The Department of Homeland Security has announced an immigration enforcement strategy aimed at the nation’s interior as the second phase of its “secure border” initiative, a multi-year plan to crack down on illegal immigration.
The first phase focuses on gaining operational control of borders by increasing personnel and through technology and strengthening the detention and removal system.
DHS said shifting focus away from the borders would increase pressure on employers that hire illegal aliens or those in violation of immigration law, as well as networks that bring illegal immigrants into the country.
While the department didn’t announce original initiatives, it made it clear that the main objective of the second phase would be to reverse the tolerance of illegal employment and immigration in the U.S.
To that end the strategy seeks to identify and remove criminal aliens, immigration fugitives and others in violation of immigration laws, crack down on worksites by using enforcement and compliance programs to deter illegal employment, and uproot criminal infrastructures at home and abroad that support illegal immigration.
“This department will counter the unscrupulous tactics of employers with intelligence-driven worksite enforcement actions and combat exploitation by dangerous smuggling organizations with the full force of the law,” said Chertoff.
DHS also said it was seeking legislation to give ICE investigators unfettered access to Social Security Administration databases to cross check workers’ social security numbers with their names.
The department also recently announced that together with the Departments of Justice, Labor, State and other agencies it has created joint task forces in 10 major cites to combat document and immigration benefits fraud.
