According to BSCAI and The New York Times, Federal Judge, Charles R. Breyer of the Northern District of California, ordered an indefinite delay on the Bush administration's new strategy to curb illegal immigration. Judge Breyer said that the government used improper procedure in issuing this new rule that would have forced employers to fire workers if their Social Security numbers could not be verified within three months.


This decision is a huge win for employers, as this rule could have lead to the unjust firing of many thousands of legally authorized and workers.

Not only did Judge Breyer order a halt to the rule, his decision also bars the Social Security Administration from sending out about 141,000 no-match letters, covering more than eight million employees, which include notices from the Homeland Security Department explaining the new rule.

Lucas Guttentag, chief immigration lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, which helped represent the unions in a lawsuit challenging the rule, said the plan's fatal flaw is its reliance on error-filled Social Security records that could lead to the firings of hundreds of thousands of citizens and legal residents.

Judge Breyer also noted this fact. "There is a strong likelihood that employers may simply fire employees who are unable to resolve the discrepancy within 90 days," even if they are legal, Judge Breyer wrote.

He ordered a halt to the rule until the court could reach a final decision in the case, which could take many months.

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