A federal judge has put a hold on one of the Bush administration's key immigration measures. The policy aims to curb illegal immigration by identifying workers with fake Social Security numbers.
Under the measure, employers would receive letters if an employee's number did not match the name in the agency's records. Employers would then have 90 days to clear up the problem or fire the employee.
In his ruling, Judge Charles Breyer said the policy could affect many legal workers; and he criticized the Department of Homeland Security for failing to conduct of survey of the costs and impact for small businesses.
For his part, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff called the ruling "a bump in the road," saying the government can address the judge's concerns.
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