A day after a federal judge ruled that the government could not use mismatched Social Security numbers to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, a coalition of immigrant advocates, faith leaders and workers gathered near the Social Security Administration headquarters in Woodlawn to voice their outrage at the proposal.
The regulation is part of a recent Bush administration push to get tough on employers and weed out illegal immigrant workers.
But advocates said yesterday that the proposal encourages employers to fire millions of workers with questionable Social Security numbers, harming immigrants and citizens. A judge in San Francisco issued a preliminary injunction to block nationwide enforcement of the regulation, but advocates pledged to continue fighting.
Wednesday "was a historic day in the fight for worker rights," said Liz Weiss, senior policy analyst with Interfaith Worker Justice, a Chicago-based group of faith leaders who advocate for immigrant and low-income workers. "But we have a long way to go to prevent this devastating rule from coming to pass."
Weiss said the administration could appeal the decision.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he was disappointed by the judge's ruling, but that his agency would continue to clamp down on the hiring of illegal immigrant workers.
A study last year from the Pew Hispanic Center estimated the illegal immigrant work force at about 7.2 million.
Interfaith Worker Justice and Maryland immigrant advocacy group Casa of Maryland sponsored the gathering of about 100 people yesterday at St. Gabriel Roman Catholic Church, just blocks from SSA headquarters.
Some hoisted signs representing faith groups, while a group of workers held a banner in Spanish that read: "Justice for day laborers and the immigrant community."
Weiss said agency officials declined her group's request for a meeting to express their concerns. So after yesterday's gathering, faith leaders and advocates walked to Social Security headquarters to deliver a letter of opposition addressed to Commissioner Michael J. Astrue.
"The Social Security Administration exists to help people live with security," the letter stated. "Your Administration should never be turned into the immigration police."
