Immigration arrests intensify work debate

LAUREL, Miss., Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Hundreds of immigration arrests in Laurel, Miss., have intensified the debate over U.S. workplace regulations, employment officials say.

Myles Gladstone, the vice president of a construction company in Maryland, said while her counterparts at the Howard Industries electrical transformer plant in Laurel had registered with the federal E-Verify work eligibility system, this week's raid was still a necessary action, The Washington Post said Thursday.

"I think it's a mistake on the part of a company to think that simply because they (enroll) that they are going to be protected from any kind of government audit or raid," Gladstone said.

Monday's raid resulted in the arrest of nearly 600 immigrant workers and now many of those individuals are facing deportation.

Yet opponents of the federal program allege such raids are merely the result of a flawed system that is inaccurate and can lead to discrimination, the Post reported.

Stewart A. Baker, Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for policy, says E-Verify is a strong step towards a better U.S. immigration policy.

"We have to have strong enforcement if we're ever to have a chance for comprehensive reform," Baker told the Post.