Resolution 001-2007
RESOLUTION OPPOSING THE SOCIAL SECURITY "NO-MATCH" LETTERS
Whereas, the Social Security Administration has proposed issuing "No-Match" letters to employers
throughout the country following a newly promulgated rule by the Department of Homeland Security;
and
Whereas, the issuance of these letters would compel employers to take corrective action including
firing any worker whose name does not match his or her proffered Social Security number; and
Whereas, the Social Security Administration's records are replete with errors, inaccuracies, and flawed
information; and
Whereas, there are approximately eight million workers who could be irreparably harmed by the
dissemination of the No-Match letters; and
Whereas, the President of the AFL-CIO, John Sweeney, has indicated that more than 70% of the No-
Match discrepancies refer toU.S. citizens; and
Whereas, current federal regulations state that an employer's receipt of a No-Match letter does not
create constructive knowledge of an employee's unauthorized work status; and
Whereas, the implementation of the No-Match letters program would have a serious chilling effect on
union or other concerted worker activity; and
Whereas, No-Match letters are already used illegally by employers to intimidate immigrant workers;
and
Whereas, the Department of Homeland Security's proposed new rule is being used as a measure to
increase enforcement measures against the highly vulnerable immigrant worker community; and
Whereas, the Social Security Administration's database is not intended to be used as a tool for
immigration enforcement; and
Whereas, Congressional failure to act to protect the workplace, civil, and human rights of immigrants
through immigration reform legislation has left an opening for overreaching and abuse of authority by
the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies;
Whereas, millions of workers regardless of their immigration status would endure serious hardships if
they lost their jobs; and
Whereas, the stability of San Francisco immigrant families would be severely disrupted by lost jobs and
increased discrimination by employers against those who are foreign-born as a result of implementation
of the new Department of Homeland Security rule; and
Whereas, the City and County of San Francisco would incur tremendous economic harm due to the
unemployment of San Francisco workers as well as experience a sharp increase in residents' use of
public benefits, services, and resources to compensate for their losses; and
Whereas, on October 10, 2007, the Northern District Court of California issued a preliminary injunction
barring the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security from sending out
140,000 No-Match letters; therefore, be it,
Resolved, that the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission strongly urges the Mayor and Board of
Supervisors to ask our San Francisco Congressional delegation including Speaker of the House,
Representative Nancy Pelosi, to oppose the new Department of Homeland Security rule; and, be it,
Resolved, that the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission urges the undertaking of a study by the
Office of the Controller examining the effect of the Department of Homeland Security rule on workers
in the City and County of San Francisco including the negative fiscal impact upon the local economy;
and, be it,
Resolved, that the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission urges the City Attorney to file an
amicus brief in the federal case pending in the Northern District of California in support of the
plaintiffs; and, be it,
Further Resolved, that the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission will send a separate formal
letter signed by all commissioners to Speaker Pelosi, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael
Chertoff, and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michael Astrue, with a copy of
this resolution as an attachment.
