Ins and outs of checking immigration database
David Ranii, Staff Writer
June 12, 2008

Uncle Sam is drafting federal contractors in the fight against illegal immigration.
President Bush has signed an executive order requiring those who do business with the federal government to use a database, known as E-Verify, to confirm the legal status of workers.

THE DETAILS:

WHO'S COVERED: Contractors, both public and private, who do work for the federal government. That would include Triangle businesses such as SAS and IBM. Recipients of federal grants are exempt. Using E-Verify won't be required with federal contracts for purchasing off-the-shelf products or for purchases under $3,000.

WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED: The proposed rule will call for federal contractors to verify the legal status of all new employees, regardless of whether they work on a federal contract, and all employees who work on new federal contracts.

IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT: North Carolina passed a law in 2006 requiring that all state government employees hired after Jan. 1, 2007, including workers at state universities, be vetted by E-Verify. "It has gone surprisingly smoothly," said Dylan Sugiyama, international employment specialist at the Office of State Personnel. So far thousands of employees, including students hired for part-time jobs by state universities, have been run through the system.

HOW E-VERIFY WORKS: It's an online database. Contractors submit a few key pieces of information -- including name, date of birth and Social Security number -- and receive a response within seconds. More than 69,000 employers nationwide already use E-Verify on a voluntary basis.

THE VIEW FROM CONTRACTORS: RTI International, a Research Triangle Park nonprofit that generated $533 million in revenue from the federal government last year, isn't using E-Verify but has no concerns about adopting it. "RTI has always conducted very extensive background checks on its employees," said spokesman Patrick Gibbons. Software giant SAS's recent adoption of E-Verify was no problem, said Mike Gallagher, director of talent acquisition.

RESULTS: Six percent of workers run through E-Verify ultimately are tagged as lacking legal status.

THE TIMING: Still to be determined. A proposed rule has been sent to the Federal Register. Comments will be accepted for 60 days following publication. Substantial changes are possible before the rule becomes final. A final rule won't take effect until 30 days after it's published.

THE BUZZ: Groups focused on curbing immigration are all for it. Critics caution about errors in the government database and the impact on the economy. "Someone who is a native-born U.S. citizen could be misidentified," said Grisella Martinez of the National Immigration Law Center.

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