Thread: Immigration status system's future at risk

Immigration status system's future at risk

Published: 10/09/2008


By Marcus E. Howard
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer



MARIETTA - A federal database that businesses can use to check the immigration status of employees will continue through March, but a lack of funding may determine its ultimate fate.


E-Verify is an Internet-based system operated jointly the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. It is free and voluntary, and allows enrolled employers to verify the status of new hires within minutes.

The program was set to expire on Nov. 30. A bill financing E-Verify for five more years passed the House on July 30, but stalled in the Senate, leading Congress to pass a temporary allocation of cash until March.

"When the 111th Congress begins next year, we will need to act swiftly to reauthorize this important program and continue to crack down on illegal immigration," said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta), who voted for the House's five-year measure.

The bill also has the support of both Georgia senators.

Both Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-east Cobb) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Moultrie) said they believe E-Verify is an essential tool and support reauthorizing it.

"Until we can pass immigration reform that includes biometrically secure identification as I have called for, this program is the best measure we have for determining the eligibility of employees," said Isakson.

In July, Chambliss said he sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), asking for the reauthorization of the program.

E-Verify has become "an increasingly important tool" among the thousands of employers who use it, Chambliss said. He said he had written to Senate leaders in July seeking the program's reauthorization.

More than 69,000 employers are enrolled in E-Verify, and the system handled more than 4 million queries in fiscal 2008, which ended Sept. 30, according to the Homeland Security Department.

The Washington Post reported that in early 2007, 94.2 percent of workers checked by E-Verify were automatically verified. Another half-percent were mistakenly rejected, but those workers were eventually able to clear up the problem, usually within two days, The Post reported. The remaining 5.3 percent of the workers walked away, an indication they were illegal, officials told that newspaper. There are critics who would be happy to see E-Verify e-vaporate. One criticism is that the program cannot identify whether a Social Security number belongs to a particular applicant, just that the number is valid.

Richard Pellegrino, a Mableton resident and director of Cobb-Cherokee Immigrant Alliance, called it a "train wreck" to try to link a person's legal status to E-Verify because it has flaws that derive from such things as people changing their names for marriage.

"It's just not an accurate system," he said. "Many people who are of legal status do not match."

Rep. David Scott (D-Smyrna) acknowledged flaws in the system, but called E-Verify a "crucial component" of immigration enforcement.

He said the government agencies that run E-Verify are not communicating sufficiently, meaning the database is not comprehensive. As an example, the system has a difficult time detecting duplicate tax I.D. numbers and Social Security numbers, he said.

"I am confident, though, that if we dedicate sufficient resources to the issue we can create a thorough, reliable system that is not overly burdensome on employers, but at the same time prevents unauthorized workers from gaining employment."

In Georgia, since July 1, 2007, contractors doing business with state or local governments are required to verify citizenship status of new workers. Federal contractors also must use some type of electronic system to verify a worker's status.

State Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) said E-Verify is essential to increase compliance with immigration law.

"Those who want to violate the law surely do not like a system that catches them doing so, therefore, they complain," Rogers said. "This is akin to a speeder complaining about a traffic officer using a radar gun."

www.mdjonline.com

Be notifying all federal elected official or candidates and educated them that we the public know about I-9s not being E-Verify for the last TWENTY YEARS.

Demand E-Verify everyone in America from banking loans, to hiring the mower of your lawn.

"Until we can pass immigration reform that includes biometrically secure identification as I have called for, this program is the best measure we have for determining the eligibility of employees," said Isakson.

We don't need no stinkin bio ID, E-Verify will do the job.

Richard Pellegrino, a Mableton resident and director of Cobb-Cherokee Immigrant Alliance, called it a "train wreck" to try to link a person's legal status to E-Verify because it has flaws that derive from such things as people changing their names for marriage.

Every legal citizen and resident of the US should be told (and they should already know) that when their personal info changes like their name, they should notify the IRS and Social Security Administration, for starters. If they haven't already, they need to get a copy of their Birth cert, not to have one is irresposible. The claim that Pellegrino makes is invalid.

no money for e-verify? lame and insulting when we spend an average of $6000 to depot each IA, if they can't get work they will stop. This is not like putting in insulated windows and waiting 5 years for a payback on your heating bill. E-Verify saves from day one.

The program was set to expire on Nov. 30. A bill financing E-Verify for five more years passed the House on July 30, but stalled in the Senate, leading Congress to pass a temporary allocation of cash until March.

"When the 111th Congress begins next year, we will need to act swiftly to reauthorize this important program and continue to crack down on illegal immigration," said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta), who voted for the House's five-year measure.

These thives can authorize $700 billion dollars to bail out Wall Street in less than a week, yet they cannot come up with the money to carry out E-Verify, which will protect jobs for America and it's citizen? How do they justify that?

All I have to say is they better get it done when they return!

I'm REALLY getting tired of this garbage from these people! How much more do we have to take, as a country from these traitors, who are supposed to be representing AMERICAN citizens!