Reclaim American Jobs Caucus Focuses on Putting Americans Back to Work

(Washington, DC) – Today on Capitol Hill, Members of Congress announced a new caucus that will focus on putting millions of Americans back to work. Currently, 15 million Americans are unemployed, while an estimated 8 million illegal immigrants are employed. 

The Reclaim American Jobs Caucus is a 40 Member, bi-partisan caucus, headed by Reps. Lamar Smith, Sue Myrick, and Gary Miller.  As the national unemployment rate stubbornly hovers around 10 percent, the caucus will work to highlight the link between illegal immigration and record unemployment in the United States.

“If the immigration laws we have on the books were enforced, we could cut unemployment in half,” Rep. Smith said.  “American citizens and legal immigrants should not have to compete for jobs with those here illegally”.

“We need to turn off the employment magnet that draws undocumented workers,” Rep. Myrick said.  “By encouraging employers to use E-Verify and increasing worksite enforcement, we make sure that Americans and legal immigrants are able to get back to work”.

“At home in California, almost weekly I hear from my constituents that illegal immigration is exacerbating the unemployment crisis and the facts validate their concerns,” Rep. Miller said.  “Although 2.2 million Californians are unemployed, nearly 1.9 million illegal immigrants are employed.  This is simply unacceptable and is an affront to unemployed American and legal workers.  The Reclaim American Jobs Caucus seeks to encourage the Obama administration to enforce existing immigration laws so that the unemployed have increased opportunities to go back to work.”

Editor’s Note:  A video message from the co-chairs can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5lyBXjdEFk