CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SAN FRANCISCO : Group Ties Job Bias to Immigration Act

The Immigration Reform Act of 1986 has led to discrimination against minority job applicants because employers are afraid of being penalized if they do not detect illegal aliens in their work forces, a coalition of minority groups said. The Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights called on Congress to eliminate sanctions for employers who hire illegal aliens. The group pointed to a San Francisco survey that found half of all employers feel it is risky to hire people who speak limited English, because they might not be legal citizens. Employers who fail to adequately check the status of their workers are subject to fines of up to $2,000 per worker for the first offense.