E-Verify compromise offered at Lewisville retreat

3:10 PM Fri, Feb 05, 2010 | Permalink
Wendy Hundley/Reporter

After this morning's Lewisville City Council retreat, it seems pretty clear that John Gorena doesn't have the support to expand the use of the E-Verify system to help ensure that city contractors don't hire illegal workers.

E-Verify doesn't protect against identify theft, it can't be used to screen employees, it's hard to enforce, and it's prompted some legal challenges that are still being litigated, City Manager Claude King told the council.

Mayor Pro Tem Lathan Watts offered a compromise. He suggested adding language to bidding contracts that would require potential contractors to disclose whether they'd ever been found in violation of immigration laws. If they lie, penalites could include losing their right to bid on city contracts for five years.

King offered a variation on that theme, suggesting that the city encourage voluntary compliance without incurring the risk of litigation.


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