E-Verify to Block Undocumented Immigrants From Employment: Some U.S. Business Interests Oppose It

Congressional immigration proposals that would require all employers to use E-Verify, an electronic verification system of legal status for employment, run into difficulty from certain U.S. business interests. Currently, just 10 states require all employers to use E-Verify: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. E-Verify’s problems include outdated data (it is not updated in real time);  it isn’t always accurate (identity theft, typographical errors and other issues aren’t detected); there are sometimes data breaches and invasions of privacy. It can lead to discriminatory practices, such as hiring based on perceived immigration status or ethnicity.

Experian’s website also discusses the advantage of E-Verify: “E-Verify can help employers maintain compliance with immigration laws by accurately verifying the employment authorization status of employees. Additionally, E-Verify can help reduce legal liability by offering a level of protection for employers exhibiting good faith when verifying employment eligibility. E-Verify can also help employers boost their images and reputations by showing their commitment to lawful employment practices and compliance with immigration laws. Additionally, and possibly most important, employers who wish to use the new alternate remote procedures must be E-Verify participants in good standing.”

NYT: Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky…(argues) that people “shouldn’t have to go through an E-Verify database to exercise your basic human right to trade labor for sustenance.”

Such databases “always get turned against us, and they’re never used for the purpose they were intended for,” added Mr. Massie, a conservative libertarian.

Representative Dan Newhouse, a Republican farmer in Washington State, has expressed concern that the E-Verify mandate could create labor shocks in the agricultural sector, which relies heavily on undocumented immigrant labor. Though the legislation delays the requirement for farmers for three years, Mr. Newhouse has argued that any such change should be paired with legislation creating more legal pathways for people to work in the United States. — NYT, April 2023.

New York Employers Are Eager to Hire Migrants. They Can’t. Many Democrats and business leaders favor giving migrants work permits, but pockets of tension and reluctance have created a complex political calculus.

Immigration Powered the Economy, The Economy Is Roaring. (Washington Post)

Here Are the States That Could Benefit Most from Migrant Labor. (Washington Post)