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McCaskill Proposes Immigration Crackdown on Businesses

Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill talks with a supporter after a press conference on immigration in Kansas City. McCaskill called for tougher penalties and stepping up enforcement against businesses hiring illegal workers.
(Maria Carter, KCUR)
Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill talks with a supporter after a press conference on immigration in Kansas City. McCaskill called for tougher penalties and stepping up enforcement against businesses hiring illegal workers.

By Maria Carter

Kansas City, MO – Democratic Senate candidate Claire McCaskill criticized incumbent Senator Jim Talent's stance on immigration during a stop in Kansas City. McCaskill alleges Talent has too many ties with big agriculture companies and called for him to support more enforcement and penalties against employers who hire illegal immigrants. McCaskill calls Talent and other Republcans stance on illegal immigration disingenuous.

Claire McCaskill: "If they were serious about the problem, they would be serious about enforcing the law not only against illegal immigrants but against those people who were hiring illegal immigrants in this country."

Talent voted against the Senate's immigration bill, criticizing it as too weak on border protection and soft on illegal immigrants. Talent also says he opposes the president's proposed guest-worker program. McCaskill says she wants tougher border security, prosecuting illegal immigrants, and higher fines and jail time for employers hiring illegal immigrants.

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