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Ag secretary seeks waiver for illegal immigrants

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)--Facing pressure from large dairies and feedlots desperate for workers, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Dale Rodman is seeking a federal waiver that would allow companies to hire illegal immigrants.

Rodman has met several times with officials at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about launching a pilot program that would place employers and illegal immigrants in a special state-organized network. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that the goal is to create a legal, straightforward manner of organizing existing immigrant labor.

So far, Homeland Security has neither approved nor closed the door on the idea.

"I need a waiver,'' Rodman said. "It would be good for Kansas agriculture.''

Now, a coalition of business interests is preparing to push the idea in Topeka. Details are expected to emerge about a bill establishing the outline of a state-managed worker program. Operating in cooperation with the federal government, it would link sponsor companies with illegal immigrants who have been in Kansas a minimum of five years and have no criminal background. One potential candidate would be a person who entered Kansas on a visa that expired years ago.

The employees and employers would pay fees that would support the program, ensuring the state incurred no oversight cost.

Mike Beam, senior vice president of the Kansas Livestock Association, said the objective was to secure a reliable, regulated labor pool to the state's businesses. Despite the recession, there are counties in rural Kansas with unemployment rates half the state average.

"This will be very limited,'' Beam said. "It would be an agreement between the state of Kansas and Homeland Security.''

Other groups backing the idea include the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and local chamber affiliates, the Kansas Farm Bureau and building industry organizations. This is the same coalition that contributed in the 2011 session to blocking a version of the Arizona immigration measure compelling police officers to detain individuals they think might be undocumented.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who helped craft the Arizona law, has vowed to work in the 2012 session to obtain passage of a Kansas law requiring employers to deploy the federal E-Verify system to establish the credentials of new hires.

"If there were fewer jobs illegal aliens could obtain unlawfully and get away with it, fewer illegal aliens would come to Kansas,'' he said.

Sen. Mark Taddiken, a Clifton Republican and chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the state's labor force needed to be solid to allow agricultural production to expand.

"They're having trouble finding people,'' Taddiken said. "The agricultural sector is looking for reliability.''

Rodman, the state's agriculture secretary, said he would leave promotion of state legislation to others and would focus on making his case to Homeland Security.

"I told them to let me do something out in western Kansas,'' said Rodman, who has traveled as secretary to the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico in an attempt to recruit people interested in agricultural careers in Kansas.

That shows promise, but the payoff would be slow. "Let me fix the system a little bit,'' he said.

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article 2012- 6 - 0131AgSecretaryAsksforWaive.cfm

Reader Comments Dave Francis — 02/03/2012 01:02:23 Nevada--has the same problems as the Sanctuary state of California, Arizona that has been overwhelmed by poverty from the large influx of illegal aliens. The only difference is the legislators in California and Nevada disregard their resident’s pleas for help and still pander to foreign nationals. That's why all Governors, Mayors and every official, who supports this never ending plague must be removed from office. Every person who wants the 2006 real double fence, The Legal Workforce bill, recognized as E-Verify and The Citizenship Birthright Act amended should join the Tea Party or other strong advocates on this matter. Illegal immigration costs California $10.5 Billion annually, with Nevada annual fiscal burden of immigration to be approximately $630 million as according to the Heritage Foundation. Powerful interests in the state garner the benefits, while the average legal California family gets handed over nearly $1,200 annually. So what’s the real cost in Alabama, Georgia, Utah, South Carolina or any of the other 43 States? Fortunately it just goes to show that legal immigrants especially generations of Hispanics are against illegal immigration and are for enforcement, by their positive vote in Florida for Mitt Romney. They too are suffering from the indignation as being blamed from the 500.000 that illegally enters America. Of course Nevada has its own set of problems, for it also has been flooded with illegal aliens. They have infiltrated the service industry, entertainment and worse hit of all—construction. Taking jobs from bonefide US citizens and legal residents, who were rejected as Contractors and sub-contractors could make more money from discount labor. They didn’t have to offer benefits to foreigners, who swarmed into Nevada during the height of the real estate boom. Other then Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, Gingrich and Paul cannot be trusted with their promises to the foreign nationals, as they are against the fence and are calling with a Path to legality--that is not what the general public want? In one of the latest polls State of Maine voters were asked about their views on legal immigration. A substantial majority of respondents, 59 percent, judge that overall levels "are too high and should be reduced," while only 6 percent believe immigration should be increased. Among the key findings of the poll: • 65% believe that illegal immigration negatively affects Maine. • 78% oppose in-state tuition subsidies and/or admission of illegal aliens to public universities. • 65% support state involvement in immigration enforcement, similar to policies enacted in Arizona and other states. • 43% believe illegal immigrants take jobs from American workers, while only 32% believe they fill jobs Americans will not do. • 59% support reducing overall immigration to the U.S., while only 6% support increasing immigration. In California and Nevada millions of jobs that should be in the hands of citizens, instead have been stolen by people from across the globe. Huge amounts of expenditures have been growing, because of careless use of Taxpayers’ dollars by politicians. Specific to Border States is the spiraling high cost of millions of illegal aliens pouring in, demanding equal rights to US citizens. 22 million Americans are out of work and President Obama has passed executive orders, so hundreds of thousands of unlawful migrants and immigrants without a criminal record can stay here. Farmers want the cheap labor, as they remain exempt for paying their medical issues or even their children's schooling. Many farmers even charge their workers rent for the room and board they live in on the property, which is illegal. The Guest Worker programs are a subject of fraud by the agricultural community, specifically by recruiters who represent the farmers. These people are often hired thinking they are going to award a Green Card, but are eventually told this is temporarily employment? Democrats will look the other way in all elections, as illegal aliens are voting and will again through 2012. These are two unfunded mandates that the US government pays nothing towards, and state compliance laws is mandatory and forced upon Americans by the courts. The low estimate for paying for all these unfunded mandates annually is $113 billion dollars. Except to stay here, you have to have food, medical care and for their children and education. Staying here it means you have to commit a felony, as to find employment you must possess a legitimate Social Security number, unless the employer is committing an illegal act themselves. Therefore using some persons SSN is a victim of identity theft and that is a –FELONY. As a patriotic American people we cannot afford to stop pursuing full, mandated “THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT” or mandated nationwide E-Verify. Without it our countries businesses will be overrun by illegal workers in every sector of industry. The circumstances have now become so critical, owing to the millions of jobless citizens, legal residents that our government needs to insist full operation of the computer based application. E-Verify is a valuable tool that has expanded to a growing number of honest businesses that have participated in the removal of foreign nationals. There is toxicity amongst the Democrats and Republicans, who have an irrational view and are eager to destroy any immigration enforcement at our undermanned border or tourists who overstay deliberately. As it stands a path to citizenship, espoused as Immigration reform wants to legalize all those already here. Can anybody imagine if foreign countries supported their citizens that America would not be suffering the problems of foreign workers and their families crowding the emergency rooms of major cities, educating their children and feeding off the limited benefits afforded the US population? E-verify must not be undermined or thrown into the waste pit of good immigration bills? Phone 202-224-3121 is the Washington center switchboard, to express your infuriated feelings and anguish at Senators and Representatives of both parties. Obamacare for all Americans will be inundated with illegal immigrants and will just drive more of them into our nation. They keep declaring no health care treatment for any illegal people, but unl ess the mandated federal bill such as E-Verify is operational, then how can we distinguish from the legal population and those who have broken immigration laws? Under such a Congressional law, the long trek home will begin if illegal workers cannot find a job. Those business owners who fail to comply could end up in prison or fined millions of dollars? All immigration bills need to be passed before Obama tries to pass another failed amnesty, as in 1986. DON’T WAIT, MILLIONS HAVE NOT? YOUR VOTE IS THE MOST INFLUENTIAL OPINION AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION? SEE THROUGH THE LIES AT NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIALWATCH. Add Your Comment To post a comment on this story, enter your screen name and email address then click "Add Comment." Your email address will not be displayed. 91 Recommend | 1 Comments

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