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War on Terrorism, War on Immigrants, War on Workers

Posted April 4, 2003

By Marissa Nuncio, a Board member of Campaign for Labor Rights and staff of SweatshopWatch in Los Angeles.

After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many in the immigrant rights community called for a period of reflection and dialogue, for respect for innocent lives and for international law, for recommitting ourselves to protecting our democratic principles, and for building a society where we can all live in dignity and peace. However, the post 9-11 climate has been one of hyped up patriotism and xenophobia, allowing the Bush administration to pass draconian policies such as the US Patriot Act and other INS (Immigration & Naturalization Service) directives that scapegoat immigrant communities in the name of fighting terrorism. As civil liberties are being bulldozed, the rights and livelihoods of immigrants and working class people are also being whittled away.

In the U.S., direct attacks against immigrants began immediately after September 11th when the INS began conducting raids at US airports. According to the INS, the raids were part of an effort to curtail the illegal smuggling of undocumented immigrants. However, most arrested and detained were innocent of any such crime. Within a couple of months immigrant airport workers then came under scrutiny, when the Aviation and Transportation Security Act was revised to require that all airport screeners be US citizens. It is estimated that nearly one-third of the 28,000 US airport screeners are immigrants, which translated into roughly 7,000 non-citizens losing their jobs. Additionally, the Security Act allows for civil service regulations to be suspended, meaning that the right to belong to a union previously enjoyed by federal employees is now threatened. In the spring of 2002 Operation Tarmac was adopted, an INS initiative targeting airport workers with immigration violations (including legal residents who may have had violations prior to obtaining legal status), visa overstays, or those who provided false work authorizations to obtain their job. In dozens of airports across the US, hundreds of janitors, baggage handlers, and food service workers were arrested, fined, and left unemployed. \

While immigrants were vulnerable to discrimination prior to September 11th, the power of agencies such as the INS and the Border and Transportation Security Department has grown tremendously, jeopardizing the rights of immigrants. In fact, on March 1, 2002, the INS was integrated into the newly created Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Not since World War II has such massive government reorganization taken place in the name of “domestic security.” The DHS merger of some 22 agencies, including the INS, will create the largest standing armed force in the country, with 70,000 armed agents for border and interior immigration enforcement. Immigrant and refugee rights groups warned of the dangers to our civil and human rights DHS would pose without effective oversight and accountability to our communities. Catherine Tactaquin, Director of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights declared, “Stopping the war abroad means upholding our communities’ rights to peace, justice, and safety at home.”

Security Used to Support Union-Busting

Amidst new policies, old weapons are also being brought out and sharpened in the current “War on Terrorism.” This fall, fighting to negotiate a contract that would prevent new technology from displacing their jobs, Westcoast dockworkers found themselves shut out of negotiations and forced off the job. The dockworkers maintained a picket on the docks until President Bush ordered them back to work, invoking the anti-labor Taft Hartley Act by declaring them a threat to national safety.

Also, Social Security No-Match letters have increased by 800% since September 11th. The Social Security Administration sends No-Match letters to employers when they notice a discrepancy between Social Security numbers and employees’ names within their records. Discrepancies can often be attributed to typos and are not necessarily an indication of the use of false records. In fact, the Administration explains that receipt of a letter does not give an employer authority to take adverse action against an employee with a mismatch. Unfortunately, many employers are not heeding the advice, and reports of workers being fired or suspended because of a No-Match letter are numerous. This is heavily influenced by the fact that the IRS will fine an employer for not responding to a No-Match letter. In fact, by 2004, employers will be fined per mismatched name. Social Security No-Match letters can therefore encourage unscrupulous employers to discriminate against immigrant workers.

The struggle of the Assi Supermarket workers in Los Angeles’ Koreatown community is a clear example of how the No-Match letter has been used against workers who attempt to organize for better working conditions. Since March of 2002, the Assi workers have been fighting for an independent union, hoping to improve low wages and racial discrimination in their workplace. However, in August 2002, 60 workers active in the union campaign were placed on “indefinite suspension” after their names were listed on a No-Match letter. The workers have been without stable employment since being suspended, however, their fight continues for a union.

Budget Crises and Weak Economy Threaten Employment and Social Services

Working class and immigrant communities are also contending with a federal budget that clearly prioritizes military spending and homeland security at the expense of their daily well-being. Bush’s 2003 budget proposal allocates $379 billion for defense, nearly $150 billion more than for Medicaid and healthcare and $300 billion more than for education! His proposed spending package, on the other hand, calls for major cuts to social programs that directly affect the poor and working class. Funding for proposed Title I programs, which provide money to low-income public schools, was slashed nearly in half, for example. Despite the fact that most states are currently struggling with huge deficits, which are compounded by the need to fund local homeland security measures, the spending package also requires a cut of nearly $6 billion in aid to states.

In Los Angeles, previously reduced federal funding led to the closure of 11 clinics, which served low-wage people, immigrants, and seniors. California’s budget crisis has led to a hiring freeze within various state agencies, including the State Labor Commissioner’s Office. The inability of this office to hire more staff to inspect worksites and process workers’ claims of labor violations has hurt an agency that already struggles with very poor bilingual capabilities and huge case backlogs.

The threat of war has also worsened a previously shaky economy, pushing the nation’s unemployment rate to 6% in recent months. Globally, cautious stock investors and consumers have impacted export-oriented countries dependent on US demand for goods, causing job loss abroad. The Washington Post recently reported that worldwide, the number of working poor has risen to 550 million. Joblessness and poverty both in the U.S. and globally are worsened by the fact that the social safety net is being eliminated through structural adjustment programs, scarce or improperly channeled resources, and privatization.

Millions Take Action for Peace

Clearly, the U.S.’ “War on Terrorism,” waged hypocritically in the name of peace and national security, has resulted in attacks on immigrants, civil liberties, workers, and is now being waged against the people of Iraq. However, a peace movement is underway with many positive results. Millions have taken to the streets to protest a war in Iraq in dozens of countries around the world. Many unions, representing millions of workers, in an unprecedented display of anti-war sentiment, have signed resolutions denouncing a war with Iraq. More that 20 cities across the U.S. have passed similar resolutions, and others are also passing resolutions against the Patriot Act. Join these efforts and say “No War in Iraq!” and “No More Attacks on Immigrants!”