President Barack Obama’s nominee for attorney general said repeatedly that the 12 million illegals — including the five million to be given work permits by the president’s November announcement — should be working.
“I believe that the right and the obligation to work is one that’s shared by everyone in this country regardless of how they came here,” Loretta Lynch said in her Wednesday confirmation hearing.
“And certainly, if someone is here, regardless of status, I would prefer that they would be participating in the workplace than not participating in the workplace,” she added.
But Lynch ducked, dodged and dived when she was asked Wednesday if federal lawyers would sue companies that prefer to hire Americans and legal immigrants instead of the illegal immigrants who are getting work permits from the White House.
“Would you take action against an employer who says, ‘No, I prefer to hire somebody that came to the country lawfully, rather than someone given executive amnesty by the president’?” Sen. Jeff Sessions asked Lynch during the confirmation hearing before the Senate’s Judiciary Committee.
Lynch evaded the question, leaving open the possibility that employers will be sued by Obama’s deputies if they decline to hire illegal immigrants who can do the job.
“An employer would be looking at the issue of citizenship in making those determinations,” she said, meaninglessly.
Pressed repeatedly by Sessions to say if the Department of Justice would penalize companies that refuse to hire illegals with Obama’s work permits, Lynch retreated.
“I haven’t studied that legal issue,” she said. “I certainly think you raise an important point, and would look forward to discussing it with you.”
The issue is hazardous for Democrats — polls show that Americans strongly oppose amnesty for illegals.