FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1994 (202) 616-2777 TDD (202) 514-1888 STATEMENT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IN REACTION TO THE COMMISSION ON IMMIGRATION REFORM'S FINAL REPORT I welcome the Report and recommendations of the Commission, and am pleased that it is so supportive of our focus on stopping illegal immigration at the border. This administration has launched the most comprehensive, sound, and aggressive border control effort in history -- an effort that will take the next step tomorrow with the commencement of "Operation Gatekeeper" at the California border. We support the Commission's recommendation that employer sanctions be enforced more vigorously. This administration is the first ever to file a criminal case against an employer for violating this law, and if necessary, there will be more indictments in the future. Moreover, Congress has given us the funding for stepped-up enforcement efforts, and we intend to do so -- while also enhancing our anti-discrimination work, to ensure that legal residents are not unfairly denied employment. We also agree with the Commission that two improvements are essential to better enforcement of the law: First, worker identification must be made more fraud-resistant, and the number of documents that can be used for employer verification must be reduced. We have already made some progress on this, and we will propose legislation next year to enable us to do more. Second, it must be easier for employers to verify a worker's eligibility -- and our databases of such information must be more accurate. As the Commission recommends, we will continue with our efforts to improve and update INS's database. And like the Commission, we think telephone verification of a worker's eligibility should be tested -- that is why we will significantly expand, to 200 sites next year, our pilot project of phone-in verification for employers. In closing, I want to again thank Dr. Jordan, all of the Commissioners, and their staff, for their superb work on this report. #### 94-565