After touring immigration detention centers in Southern California, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he would oppose offering an amnesty program for undocumented immigrants in the United States.  According to Peter Prengaman’s article in the Associated Press, Frist has been very reserved when making statements regarding immigration and future policy.  Besides amnesty, Frist has refused to offer any positions on immigration.  When questioned about a guest worker program, Frist merely declined to comment on the subject.  Prengaman’s article suggests that Frist’s position on amnesty is not uncommon and notes that most lawmakers who support guest worker programs are against blanket amnesty.  Though the Senate Majority Leader offered little in the way of specific plans for the immigration bill coming before the Senate, he appeared to be focused primarily on the security aspects of immigration reform.

*****

Julie Myers, the chief of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has expressed a need for stricter punishments for those businesses which hire undocumented immigrants.  Myers believes that enforcing fines or economic penalties are necessary to combat the mindset that immigrant employees are simply a necessary business strategy.  A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that fines could range from as low as two hundred and fifty dollars per employee for first time offenders to a maximum of ten thousand dollars for repeat offenders.  According to an article by Peter Prengaman, Myers has requested greater access to Social Security information so her department can track individuals using fake Social Security Numbers for employment.  In an effort to help businesses from unknowingly hiring undocumented immigrants, ICE will be offering a voluntary program aimed at industries who commonly hire immigrant workers.