Thread: Sen. Grassley to gov't: screen U.S. contractors for illegals

Senator to gov't: screen U.S. contractors for illegals
by Frank James

You may have heard of the E-Verify system the federal government wants employers to use to establish that workers are in the U.S. legally and thus eligible to work.

The Homeland Security Department is so serious about employers using it, it's suing Illinois because the state has thrown up a roadblock to keep employers in the state from using the system which, Illinois says, is flawed.

Given how determined the federal government is about employers using the Internet-based system, you would think the federal government would itself be uniformly relying on it to make sure the contractors it hires aren't using illegal workers. You would be wrong.

This irony hasn't escaped the attention of Sen. Charles Grassley who is calling on the federal goverment to practice what it preaches.

Grassley sent letters today asking the relevant officials to change this curious lack of urgency on the federal government's part to make comprehensive use of its own E-Verify system.

Here are letters he sent today to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Jean Manning, Chief Cousel for Employment in the Senate's Office of the Secretary:


[quote]November 19, 2007

The Honorable Michael Chertoff
Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Washington D.C. 20528

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

It’s been three months since you announced a series of reforms to address border security and immigration challenges that our country faces. One of the 26 proposed reforms was to require federal contractors to use the basic pilot program, now known as E-Verify.

Specifically, you said that “the Administration will commence a rulemaking process to require all federal contractors and vendors to use E-Verify, the federal electronic employment verification system, to ensure that their employees are authorized to work in the United States.â€

E-Verify (formerly called "Basic Pilot"), the national EEVS, has been available to employers since 1997. I believe some employers are required by federal law to use the program, but not all. The SAVE Act would federally mandate that all employers utilize the employment verification system, including the U.S. Government and its hired contractors. The Save Act phases the program in over a four year period (phase-in based on number of employees).

You goooooo Grassley!!! :