Thread: Business Believes E-Verify Could Lower Nation's Unemployment

Business Believes E-Verify Could Lower Nation's Unemployment Rate
Martina Valverde-KFOX Morning News Reporter

Posted: 7:33 pm MST December 27, 2010Updated: 8:57 pm MST December 27, 2010
EL PASO, Texas -- Texas Republican lawmaker Lamar Smith will look over deportations and arrests starting in January.

Smith said one of his first orders of business will be to expand the E-verify program, which is set to expire in 2012.

"We enter all their information, like their social security, their name, their address, their driver’s license, and their date of birth," said Virginia Venegas, who works Southwest G.C. E P, Inc.

Venegas works for the contracting company southwest G.C. E P, Inc., which is contracted to do work on Fort Bliss.

They registered with E-verify four months ago.

"It's a lot of paperwork, a lot of questionnaires. I mean if we just took most of the day to fill it out, it's worth it," said Venegas.

E-verify is a volunteer program run by Homeland Security, but for Venegas and the company she works for, it is mandated because they work with federal contracts.

Venegas said she hopes some kind of legislation is passed to mandate E-verify for all businesses, especially in El Paso because she believes illegal immigrants are taking up jobs.

“So many of us here in El Paso, U.S. citizens, there’s not so many jobs, there's no jobs around here," said Venegas.

Venegas said the system is easy to use. They have to first hire an employee and then can enter their information online.

"Within seconds, I'd say 3 to 5 seconds it comes back and verifies everything, that everything matches," she said.

That's not always the case. Venegas said one time it took about 24 hours to get a response.

That was because the social security number entered didn't match up. That employee had eight days to provide the correct information.

"Within those eight days, they're still employed, but after those eight days if they don't have it, if wasn't right, then we terminate them," said Venegas.

Venegas would like legislation passed that would allow them to E-verify before even hiring an employee.

She said even if it doesn't match up, they only notify the employee, never any form of law enforcement.

The program comes at no cost to businesses.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/26294704/detail.html

Venegas would like legislation passed that would allow them to E-verify before even hiring an employee.

Great idea. It would save the employer the costs involved with on-boarding a new employee and, especially, would save the employer from a wrongful termination suit by La Raza.

It would be nice. While at it they should also pass a federal law that any employer hiring illegal immigrants will be charged for court costs and deportation of that employee when caught. That way more employers would e verify and not hire illegals. It would also cause illegals to go bakc home as there would be no jobs for them and prevent others from coming here.

Of course it would lower unemployment. 500 illegals lose jobs those gotta be replaced with legals. Hence lower unemployment.

Still though need to cut out the welfare benefits to illegals. No jobs, no welfare.... not much of a choice left to leave.

I do like the idea of heavy fines for employers along with paying court costs and deportation costs. If a business is found to actually be purpsefully hiring large scale illegals I'd even support fines of an extreme nature that could drive that business out of business or least that branch. One "illegal" business goes down leaves room for a replacement legal business.

Course best idea... deported illegals.... they have money... they have stuff. Its called profiting off illegal activities. That'll help cover their costs also heh, not like we want anything left for them to return to.