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Illegal Immigrants Influence Illegal Employment
June 13, 2003 – Senator Celestino A. White, Sr. today, has expressed serious concern over the alarming increase in illegal immigrants into the Territory. This influx has caused illegal employment to swell at a very alarming rate.
Many small businesses, such as restaurants, bars, construction sites, as well as other labor related business establishments, appear to be hiring individuals who enter the Territory illegally. In doing so, these businesses are not complying with appropriate labor laws of the Virgin Islands regarding posting of vacant positions with the Department of Labor, according to Senator White. Furthermore, illegal employment not only allow employers to circumvent paying Workers'' Compensation, Social Security and other taxes due this government, but it impacts the ability of legal residents to obtain employment as well as Government collection of proper income taxes, gross receipts or other taxes required by law, Senator White stated.
Undoubtedly, these infractions contribute directly to the government's continued financial hemorrhaging resulting from a lack of collected taxes, coupled by the tremendous impact on social services, health care, education system, and so forth, by families of illegal immigrants, stated Senator White.
Senator White is calling on Commissioner Andrew Rutnik, of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs, and Commissioner Cecil Benjamin, of the Department of Labor, to immediately establish a multi-jurisdictional task force to conduct routine inspection of businesses operating in the Territory to insure they comply with the laws of the Virgin Islands, concluded Senator White.
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