Hiring crackdown means tough calls for employers

[musicman]

Many employers across Texas and the United States soon will face a wrenching decision: Whether to fire workers whose names and Social Security numbers don't match government records or risk getting fined in a new federal crackdown on illegal immigration.

The choice stems from rules that the Bush administration will issue soon to place new responsibilities on employers to make sure their workers are legal.

The regulations would give employers a set amount of time to work with each employee and the government to resolve the discrepancy after being notified by the Social Security Administration of a possible identity problem.

Employers who keep unauthorized workers on the payroll after the deadline could face fines of up to $10,000 per illegal worker. Currently there is no penalty for ignoring any of the hundreds of thousands of "no-match" letters that the government pumps out to employers every year.

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