President Obama's new immigrant amnesty provisions will incentivize businesses to hire illegal immigrants over native U.S. citizens - to the tune of $3000 per employee, congressional aides recently confirmed, according to The Washington Times.
Under the temporary amnesty, which will last for three years, five million illegal immigrants will be allowed to stay in the country legally for three years without threat of deportation. These immigrants will also be eligible for work permits, but will not be allowed certain public benefits such as access to Obamacare insurance.
This means that businesses who hire the undocumented immigrants will not be penalized for failing to provide health care coverage, reported The Washington Times. On the other hand, if the business hired a native-born worker and chose not to provide health coverage, the business could, by law, be fined a $3,000 penalty.
Businesses with more than 50 employees who refuse to provide insurance coverage to full-time workers are assessed a penalty for every employee who receives subsidies under Obamacare. But the five million undocumented immigrants are not allowed to sign up for Obamacare or receive subsidies, so businesses are not penalized, explains The Washington Times.
The loophole was criticized for seemingly placing illegal immigrants ahead of American citizens in the job market.
"If it is true that the president's actions give employers a $3,000 incentive to hire those who came here illegally, he has added insult to injury," Republican Rep. Lamar Smith said. "The president's actions would have just moved those who came here illegally to the front of the line, ahead of unemployed and underemployed Americans."
Obama continues to maintain a positive outlook on his decision, saying Tuesday that "Immigrants are good for the economy."
"We keep on hearing that they're bad, but a report by my Council of Econmic Advisers put out last week shows how the actions we're taking will grow our economy for everybody," he said.
