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Feds say contractors must verify workers’ legal staus
July 8th, 2009, 12:06 pm · 30 Comments · posted by Dena Bunis, Washington Bureau Chief
Beginning this fall, if you want to do business with the federal government you’re going to have to sign up for a web-based program that checks whether your workers are legally entitled to work in the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced that after reviewing the Bush administration’s decision to require all federal contractors and subcontractors to use E-Verify, a computerized system that checks a worker’s Social Security number with federal data bases, that the regulation will be put into effect on Sept. 8.
This system was originally authored by Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, as a voluntary pilot program in a few states. It’s now nationwide, but still voluntary, although Calvert has repeated authored a bill to make it mandatory.
A few states have passed their own laws that require state contractors or private employers to use the system. Arizona, where Napolitano was governor until being tapped for DHS secretary, mandates all employers to use E-Verify.
“E-Verify is a smart, simple and effective tool that reflects our continued commitment to working with employers to maintain a legal workforce,’’ Napolitano said in a statement.
DHS also announced that it’s going to rescind the Social Security No-Match Rule, a regulation that was blocked by a court-order and never was put in place by the Bush folks.
The No-March Rule would have required employers to respond to Social Security Administration letters about employees whose Social Security numbers did not match their names. Often those letters came as much as a year after someone was hired and the system was littered with errors.
The regulation requiring federal contractors to use E-Verify also came in for some criticism because despite the fact that DHS insists the system works and has relatively few errors, immigrant advocates and some business groups insist it is flawed because of mistakes and errors in the data bases it uses to check an employee’s identity.
According to today’s DHS statement, the agency is continuing to make improvements to E-Verify, including reducing typographical errors and increasing the number of data bases used to check a person’s work eligibility.
In February, DHS added the State Department passport data base to the list of records used to verify identities and work status.
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
JOEL WALSH, Washington bureau intern, 202-628-6381 or jwalsh@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
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E-verify should have been used all along and not just if you want to work for the federal government. If there are errors, correct them.
It would be a travisty for any stimulus/tax money to go to Illegal aliens either directly or indirectly through sub contractors.
In the city where I reside (Lake Forest, California) much of the city maintenance is sub-contracted out. When discussing the possibility with city office personnel that it appears that the majority of the contracted maintenance people are illegals they didn’t deny it they just changed the subject.
yep, their moving to So. OC now! We are going to get squished!
What good is E-verify if the worker is illegal & they’re using someone else’s ssn? Just a CYA pass.
If the ssn is in use at two locations a flag of suspicion should be raised. A larger and brighter flag should go up if the names are different.
E-Verify validates name and SSN.
More power goes to federal government… to the tune of thunderous applause from supposed small-government Republicans.
The amendment to finish 700 miles of fencing passed also. Boxer and Feinstein voted against both amendendments of course. They show so much preference to illegals. If you believe illegals are draining us dry please join numbersusa.com it’s free and easy. we need to let our voices to be heard.
Yea, I’m glad the money has been appropriated to get the job done. The minuteman project has been working with slim funds but still making progress! When will our Money misers gonna be put in line, stop offshoring jobs, and what’s left here goes to americans……priority!
The only way to do away with illegal immigration is for contractors, corporations, businesses and private residences (e.g. home help, gardeners) to hire 100% legal immigrants. This is a good first step, but should be for all contracts (not just federal) and should be 100% mandatory with massive fines to lawbreaking entities. No more turning a blind eye. Businesses need to be more patriotic and accountable. Do what is right for legal immigrants and your fellow citizens.
It is quite simple…it should be required for ALL employees and employers. There should be a fine for any employer who hires someone illegal. Any job that I have had, I’ve had to prove that I’m legal. I’m also in favor of someone proving it to receive welfare and social services.
I got a letter as an employee of my own corporation saying that my name didn’t match my SSN, so I agree that whatever system generates those letters is flawed.
And while I agree that it is ironic that supposed conservatives are these days behind a bigger and more intrusive Federal government, the fact is that immigration is the exclusive province of the Feds, regardless of what anyone wants to do at the state or local level.
1. Who are the idiots that voted NO on this poll, please speak up.
2. This should have been done the first day it came out I mean talk about obvious.
Probably someone complaining on another Register blog that there are too many regulations that make more paperwork for employers and businesspeople. Or, someone complaining that there are too many expensive Federal programs. Or, someone complaining that government can’t do anything right.
If these types of programs had been implimented years ago, the La Raza crowd would have had their immigration bill by now.
This is wonderful idea. I hope that I can get my job back from the designers in China, Israel and India.
I hope that I can get my job back from the designers in China, Israel and India.
I am a designer, and foreign designers are not as good as americans, unless the product is low end. If your designs are original and unique someone will hire you. Please do not make excuses. I wish you good luck though, and encourage you to not give up.
I agree with all that the e-verify is overdue and should be immediately implemented.
There are 2 more amendments to be voted on today. One allows employers to check status, the other allows S.S to alert employers that SS numbers do not match. When I first found out about this I couldn’t believe it wasn’t already in place. The failure rate is around 1% but I’m sure if there’s a problem there will be a way to work it out .No wonder illegals take advanage of us.
I agree - we should have done something about this 20 years ago.
Now we need a bill to allow citizens who have their Social Security number stolen to file FELONY charges against the thief. The illegal workers will try harder to get “good” numbers, like mine.
I like E-Verify. Matching a name to a number will help alot, but what about a birthdate too?
E-verify should be used by all employers, specially the federal government and their contractors and it should be used for any kind of government aid that the tax payers support.
The error rate for E-verify is 1/2 of 1%. Almost all the errors are from women not changing their name on their SSN after they get married. Employer or employee giving incorrect data or illegal aliens trying to use your SSN number. Under the law you also have time to correct the error before you are let go from any job.
When Katrina happened in New Orleans the government hired a lot of independent contractors for unskilled labor jobs. Some of the contractors fired their American black workers and replaced them with illegal aliens, so they could make more money. I think this was disgusting.
Hey Bob. You know it’s funny that the liberals who post comments about articles like this always accuse the Republicans of wanting bigger and more “intrusive” government, when, in fact, what is really being asked for is for the government (national or local) to do what it is sworn to do, and that is to protect the sovereignty of our nation and to uphold our laws and defend us against foreign invaders (which imho are what illegal immigrants represent).
If we were to eliminate governmental entities that provide welfare ie. social programs (which are well over 50% of the national budget) And instead add to the entities the resources necessary to prosecute those who aid and abet illegal immigration we would have a much, much smaller government.
Oh, just a brief aside: did you hear the California government official beseeching everyone to turn in their neighbors, or anyone else I guess, to law enforcement for having out of states tags on their vehicles? How ironic that they made no mention of turning in folks who you thought were illegally in the country and using the welfare benefits to provide food and shelter for themselves and their anchor babies. Which one of those events is more costly I wonder. LOL.
I’m sure that when the stimulus jobs start happening in CA all the illegals will be put back to work — those that went back to Mexico when the housing bubble burst will now come back — just watch!
Bravo, Bravo! It’s about time E- Verify be mandatory, we have too many Ids thieves making our lives miserable, while spending more than $338 billion dollars (2008 data) to take care of them and their families & friends. It’s shameful and outrageous our own citizens are in great struggle to survive, while our jobs are going to these leaches and the Foreign Workers who come and never leave our country, since they over stayed their visas. We need to cleans house and send all those who are NOT doing the job We The People are paying for. The pandering to the law breakers and their lobbyist had to be stopped completely. These people are destroying our country, while bankrupting all our social service, which are supposed to be for us citizens. The billions should be put to good use for our own citizens, who are the ones who care for our country, pay their taxes and are the ones that keep our country economy moving!
Time to stand up for American Values that made us great. America is not for sale! I need a good paying job, I am tired of occupations going offshore and what’s left going to illegals for pennies on the dollar! Anger? frustration? Feeling betrayed?
I say that the Government has insulated themselves and ignored the citizens of this country enough. The E verify program should be enforced for all levels of government, local and federal. And as for the errors ? If an illegal thinks he’s being sly and paying into the system under a false SSN…especially someone elses…..then Thanks bud for the contribution, but your no getting it back and your not going to get money out of our social systems.
Well the US government can find almost all American Citizen via the post office. Illegal aliens that never get a permanent address but only work are hidden from the taxes except sales taxes.
And State Employment Office only have to E-Verify “Migrate Farm Workers”. Why not all I-9s of all immigrants? This is one of the loopholes since 1986 last Big Amnesty. Remember ICE has only been doing raids since about 2004. Come and join http://www.alipac.com.
And it is funny hearing the businesses complain about “Cap and Trade”. I cannot wait to hear them complain about the $750 health insurance on each employee. Businesses are going to pay a price for hiring the 20 million illegal aliens instead of Americans, just watch.