Immigration Proposal Targets Employers : Border: Democrats counter Wilson by urging that the state be allowed to seize firms guilty of hiring undocumented workers.

Key Assembly Democrats, the latest group to step into the superheated immigration issue, proposed Wednesday to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants by allowing the state to seize their businesses.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown and Assemblyman Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the Latino Caucus, announced their support of legislation to allow the state to take over farms, factories or other assets of employers who repeatedly hire illegal immigrants.

“The time has come to bring the accomplice (employer), who is a partner in . . . abetting a crime by hiring them, to the same level of punishment,” Polanco said.

In the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, Assemblyman John Burton (D-San Francisco) proposed an amendment that would make employers who hire six or more undocumented workers liable for a misdemeanor, punishable by jail time and fines.

A second offense could be a felony and, in that event, would allow the government to seize assets. This state version of employer sanctions goes further than federal law, which provides for a $10,000 fine on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Dan Schnur, Gov. Pete Wilson’s communications director, said the governor would be “willing to talk in more specificity, as long as there could be assurances that a small businessman or businesswoman would not be required to do the INS’ job.”

The employer sanctions idea follows Wilson’s call earlier this month for major changes in immigration policy. Tapping into an issue that quickly boosted his low approval ratings, the governor called for a constitutional amendment to deny citizenship to children born in this country if their parents are illegal immigrants. He also proposed a national identification card for immigrants and denying health care and public education for people who are in the country illegally.

Wilson conspicuously avoided harsher employer sanctions as part of his package of proposals.

At a news conference, Speaker Brown took credit for the asset forfeiture idea, saying, “If you’re engaging in those activities, you ought to be penalized and you ought to pay the supreme price.”

Brown said he hoped to “depoliticize the issue.” But employer sanctions would strike hard at the Republican business base. Farmers and hotel and restaurant owners could find themselves fighting in court against efforts to seize their assets.

“You will see a whole lot of white folks up here (speaking out) when you start talking about asset forfeiture,” Brown said. “All of a sudden, we’d be owning the Hilton Hotel in Palm Springs if (the owner) is using illegal aliens, undocumented persons.”

Burton tacked the employer sanctions amendment onto a bill by Sen. Newton R. Russell (R-Glendale), and acknowledged that it was intended to force Wilson to “fish or cut bait” on the immigration issue.

Russell’s original bill had been far more limited, seeking to require government agencies that run job referral services to make sure laborers are here legally. By day’s end, Russell said he was mulling whether to drop the bill, adding that he believed the measure was “a little Draconian.”

“Obviously, the reason for putting it in my bill is to tweak the governor,” Russell said, calling the political maneuver by Burton “pretty brilliant.”

The Legislature’s Latino Caucus was split on the question. Cruz Bustamante (D-Fresno), for one, said he opposes asset forfeiture, noting, “In the Central Valley, we couldn’t conduct business without immigrants.”

The sparring came as the Latino Caucus issued a six-point plan to curb illegal immigration. The proposals, all of which would require federal action, include a call for a presidential summit with Mexico over immigration, and harsher penalties against smuggling rings.

The report called for a study of the effects of imposing a $1 toll on anyone who enters the United States, and for breaking up the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies--one to enforce the border and the other to handle citizenship. The report recommended that citizenship centers be set up around the country in an effort to speed the naturalization of legal immigrants who want to become citizens.

Polanco described the measures as “tough but balanced.” He and Brown also lashed out at Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer over her suggestion that the National Guard be called out to help prevent illegal immigration from Mexico. Polanco called the idea “wrong and stupid,” while Brown labeled it “simplistic.”