The Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced measures requiring employers to fire workers who use false Social Security numbers. Those rules have many Chicago-area immigrants and their employers bracing for layoffs. Chicago Public Radio’s Chip Mitchell reports.

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The Social Security Administration expects to send out no-match letters covering eight million workers this year.

The notices warn employers that the workers applied for their job using a Social Security number inconsistent with federal records.

Now companies with lots of mismatches could face stiff fines and workplace raids.

The rules please conservatives who’ve long demanded stronger immigration enforcement.

But businesses in many low-wage industries are sounding alarms.

VEGA: They are going to lose good employees they’ve had for years.

Retired factory worker Isaac Vega serves on the board of the San Lucas Workers Center, a Chicago group that advocates for undocumented immigrants.

VEGA: It’s not very easy to train people to work on machines every day.

Labor unions and immigrant groups say the enforcement will lead to discrimination against Latinos.

They’re planning legal challenges against the rules.

I’m Chip Mitchell, Chicago Public Radio.