Bill Targets Working Illegal Aliens

A federal proposal to restrict immigrant workers who have access to secure areas at US airports could devastate the workforce at airports nationwide.

The bill, sponsored by US Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL,) would require all airport, airline and contract workers with security access to runways, tarmac areas, aircraft and baggage systems to have Social Security numbers -- which means they may be US citizens or have permanent immigration status, with a green card, according to the Phoenix Business Journal.

Other proposals seek to allow such access only to US citizens. Kirk's bill also would allow airport security badges to be issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, rather than at each airport.

The proposed bill would have a negative effect on Arizona's Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport, according to officials.

Nearly 31,000 people work at PHX for airlines, concessionaires, contractors and the city, which operates the airport. Deb Ostreicher, the city's deputy aviation director, said about 22,000 are officially badged, giving them security access.

"Just over 2,000 badged employees are eligible to work in the United States, but are not US citizens," Ostreicher said. All airport workers go through background and security checks with Sky Harbor and the Transportation Security Administration before being granted access badges, she added.

"The TSA mandates that we complete a security threat assessment on each employee to verify identify and eligibility to work in the United States. We also conduct fingerprinting and criminal history records checks going back 10 years," Ostreicher said. "The TSA then processes the data and advises whether or not we can issue a badge."

Kirk proposed the bill to improve airport security following the October arrests of 30 workers at Chicago O'Hare International Airport for using fake security badges to access sensitive areas. Some reports indicated a number of those detained were illegal immigrants.

Officials estimate there are 579,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona, and that they make up 12 percent of the state's work force, citing the Center for Immigration Studies. Other federal estimates say there are 11.3 million illegal immigrants nationwide.

FMI: www.cis.org/, www.house.gov/kirk/, www.airports.org