When it comes to immigration reform, are worker ID cards a good idea? (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If you think health care reform is ugly, just wait until Congress tries immigration reform again.
The Senate has begun work on an immigration bill and at the center of this new plan is a controversial requirement for all American workers to get identification cards.
It's meant to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants. Right. If you think the corporations that make huge profits on the backs of an illegal alien workforce are going to let something like that get through, think again.
Under the plan - all legal workers, including citizens and immigrants, would have to get an ID card that includes biometric information like fingerprints.
The Wall Street Journal reports the card would be phased in among all workers, including teens; and among all employers, starting with industries that rely on an illegal immigrant workforce. Now there's an idea.
Supporters say such a worker ID card would be a way to guarantee illegal immigrants don't come here for jobs because they wouldn't be able to get them.
But critics worry about violating people's privacy. They say such worker ID cards could wind up being a type of national ID card that would allow the government to track everything people do - from working to voting to traveling. Many European countries require everyone to carry ID cards.
This immigration bill would also offer a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already living here, but they'd have to register, pay taxes, pay a fine and wait in line.
Amnesty with some inconvenience attached. And for many Americans, it's a nonstarter. Anything resembling amnesty won't cut it.
Here’s my question to you: When it comes to immigration reform, are worker ID cards a good idea?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Ed from California says:
You can have all the IDs you want. One for every day of the week if need be. The problem is the people employing the undocumented worker, that's the problem. These employers, who are saving a buck on labor, need to be caught, prosecuted, fined and jailed, and put permanently out of business. And their workers should be deported.
Battle from says:
This is a bad idea. We have immigration laws on the books that simply need to be enforced. The ability of the government to track anything about me is unacceptable.
Dan from New York says:
I don't have a problem. I was born here, and have no issues. If it stops the flood of illegal workers here and forces companies to pay real wages, I'm all for it.
Bert says:
Worker ID cards are not a good idea, but E-Verify and employer prison time for those who hire illegals would be a good idea.
Jarret says:
More big government? Don't we already have something like this? Isn't it called a Social Security card?
Michael from Dallas, Texas says:
Jack, When I got hired for my last job I had to bring a passport, a driver’s license and my Social Security card. Now we worry about just one card?
Bob from Texas says:
Once again, Jack, they want to attack the good guys to get to the bad guys. Those of us who work but don't want to carry big brother’s tattoo will find ourselves unemployed, while illegals and their employers will find ways around this law… This is a lot like the terrorist problem. The government can't handle it, so we have to submit to full body searches to get on an airplane.
David says:
Let's cut to the chase and have our government tattoo numbers on foreheads!