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Congress reauthorizes E-Verify program
Story Date: 9/20/2012
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Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 9/19/12
Congress has passed a bill that would reauthorize a nationwide system that identifies individuals working illegally in the United States. The bill, which would extend the E-Verify program through Sept. 30, 2015, still has to be signed by President Obama.
Nearly 300,000 businesses currently use the voluntary program, and it is mandatory in nine states. Despite widespread criticism of the program – largely over potential inaccuracies in the database that holds employees’ I-9 information – several industry groups support it.
“This bill is pretty routine, but it is an occasion to look at where we are with E-Verify,” Tamar Jacoby, president of immigration reform business organization ImmigrationWorks USA, told Meatingplace. “I expect the next Congress to make this mandatory for all businesses. That’s a when – not if – question.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called it a "clear safe harbor for employers that act in good faith," and the American Meat Institute has called it "a critical first step in providing a practical and functional worksite electronic employment verification system that is vital to achieving a stable, legal workforce."
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