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It’s not their job

We hear a lot about illegal immigrants — estimated at about 12 million now — but not much about roundups and deportations. We think we know why, considering the difficulties our reporters had gathering information about an Ecuadorian laborer who faces homicide charges in the death of a Bensalem bartender.

Jose Esteban Maldonado-Luzuriaga, an illegal immigrant working for a local landscaper, allegedly rammed his employer’s truck into William Sullo III, who moments earlier had tossed Maldonado-Luzuriaga out of the Salute bar on Knights Road.

Trying to find out how Maldonado-Luzuriaga landed his job or much about the landscaper who hired him proved a frustrating endeavor, as our Sunday story reported. What’s worrisome and also frustrating is that investigators don’t seem to have much interest in how the suspect got a job. In other words, did the employer play by the rules?

By law, an employer must verify that an applicant is eligible for hire. That can be accomplished by examining a U.S. passport, a permanent resident card, unexpired foreign passport with a temporary U.S. stamp or any one of several immigration documents. Or an employer can accept two other forms of ID.

The employer must keep a record of the documentation, but isn’t required to determine its authenticity.

While that sticks in our craw, we understand that businesses have limited resources — particularly small businesses — which is why the federal government developed an Internet-based system for confirming that job applicants are eligible to work in the United States. Problem is, the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system is optional.

It shouldn’t be. And beginning Jan. 15, E-Verify’s use will be mandatory for federal contractors and sub-contractors.

Similarly, state Rep. John Galloway, D-140, tried to make the E-Verify program mandatory for Pennsylvania businesses. But the bill got a late start and didn’t come up for a vote before the legislative year ended.

We encourage Galloway to try again next session.

We also encourage Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy to propose similar legislation for Congress’ consideration.

Immigrants come here for jobs — and they’ll break the law if they have to. Cutting off or slowing the flow of illegal immigrants means cutting off job opportunities. And that requires holding employers’ feet to the fire.

Unfortunately, the police say it’s not their job to address reports of companies employing illegal immigrants. “We have no jurisdiction over this,â€