Corona legislator Ken Calvert wants to make mandatory his program for verifying a job candidate's immigration status

07:33 PM PDT on Thursday, April 2, 2009

By BEN GOAD
Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Inland Rep. Ken Calvert on Thursday urged Congress to expand his employment verification system, saying the soon-to-expire program is vital at a time when federal immigration policy seems less focused on targeting undocumented workers and when more Americans are trying to find jobs.

At a hearing of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security, Calvert, R-Corona, pressed for the renewal and strengthening of E-Verify, which allows employers to use a federal online database to check the immigration status and eligibility of potential hires.

Calvert and other lawmakers have seized on news reports that followed a raid last month at a Seattle-area engine plant in which 28 undocumented workers were arrested.

Many of the workers were later released and allowed to return to work while federal authorities continue to investigate, prompting criticism from Calvert and others who say the government should remain focused on ensuring that U.S. jobs go to Americans.

Raids like the one in Seattle were commonplace during the Bush administration. But the Obama administration and new Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have pointed to the surge of drug violence along the Mexican border and the capture of criminals who are illegal immigrants as priorities.

"I would say they're moving away from worksite enforcement," said Calvert, who sits on the subcommittee.

That is a mistake, he said, pointing to the nation's unemployment rate, which is above 8 percent. Inland Southern California's rate is significantly higher -- topping 12 percent. Calvert said there are probably thousands of illegal immigrants working in the region.

"There are a lot of folks who are here legally that would love to have a job," he said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they are still seeking out employers who hire illegal immigrants.

"We have not received any policy shift with regard to worksite enforcement," said Marcy Forman, director of the agency's office of investigations. "We have not been asked to delay any raids."

In 1996, Calvert authored legislation creating E-Verify. The mostly voluntary program includes roughly 117,000 employers nationwide and is mandatory in Arizona and Mississippi. But the federally funded program is set to expire at the end of September.

Calvert has introduced two bills, one that would extend the program for five years, and another that would make it mandatory for all U.S. employers.

As a Republican in a Congress controlled by Democrats, Calvert's legislation faces an uphill battle. Critics have pointed to glitches in the E-Verify system, which have resulted in workers being wrongfully rejected.

But Michael Aytes, acting deputy director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, testified Thursday that the program is now about 99 percent reliable.

Calvert also has an ally in Napolitano who, as Arizona's governor, signed the law making E-Verify mandatory in the state. Napolitano said this week that she favors extending the program, though the administration has yet to take a position on whether it should be mandatory, spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said.

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