House adopts bill targeting illegal immigrants

Tuesday, Apr 29, 2008 - 06:55 PM

PROVIDENCE - Private employers would be forced to verify the immigration status of new workers under a bill that House lawmakers have passed to discourage illegal immigration.

The bill, adopted Tuesday, would force all private companies in Rhode Island to use a federal database called E-Verify to determine whether new hires are in the country legally. The measure passed 53-17 and now heads to the Senate.

Supporters call the database a tool for keeping illegal immigrants out of the work force. Immigration advocates say the database is error prone and sometimes identifies U.S. citizens and legal immigrants as ineligible to work.

The vote comes a month after Gov. Don Carcieri signed an executive order forcing executive branch agencies and companies doing business with the state to use the same database.

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