The Workers Defense Project, an immigrant-rights group in Austin, is hoping to ignite a grassroots backlash to a plan by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers. The agencies plan to check workers’ Social Security numbers, and, if they don’t find a match, the company would be expected to fix the mistake or fire the worker. A federal judge in California issued a temporary halt to the program, which will end on Oct. 1 unless a court issues a permanent injunction. “These changes will mean unjust firings for thousands of people here in the south, and bleak economic prospects for business,” said Workers Defense Project Director Cristina Tzintzun in a press release. The group plans to flood the Dallas office of the Social Security Admini­stra­tion with faxes, letters, and phone calls.

This article appears in September 14 • 2007.

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