Dear Editor,

To correct Gary Heshoren, I did not say one-third of Mexico’s income comes from cash money sent from the United States. I said their third largest source of income is from cash sent from the United States. That a huge difference. It is also a fact.

A Social Security number is required to work. It can be fraudulently obtained by undocumented immigrants:

1. They can invent a number.

2. They can steal or borrow a Social Security card.

3. They can buy a counterfeit Social Security card.

4. They can obtain a valid Social Security card by using false documents, such as counterfeit passports and INS papers.

5. They can obtain a valid Social Security card by using a fraudulently acquired U.S. birth certificate.

6. They can fraudulently obtain a valid replacement Social Security card by stealing a person’s identity.

If illegal aliens invent a Social Security number, steal or borrow an authentic card, or buy a counterfeit one, most likely the Social Security Administration will not catch it without the aid of employers. But few employers seem inclined to offer that cooperation.

The Employee Verification Service is a mechanism for employers to match an individual’s name and number with the records. Of the 6.5 million employers in fiscal year 2000, only 6,000 employers were registered users, and of those, only 211 used the service.

Why? Because many employers find the system is too helpful. It exposes the fact that their employees are here illegally or hold visas that do not allow work and therefore would subject them to fines and penalties.

Bob Anderson

Glenwood Springs