Obama Administration Supporting E Verify

The Obama administration announced it will require all federal contractors to run potential employees through the electronic E Verify system.

E Verify is a web based system that operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. The system compares information from an applicant's employment eligibility form, known as an I-9, against federal government databases to verify that the individual is legally authorized to work in the United States.

Liberty Screening offers an excellent resource for verifying employment eligibility using the E Verify database.

The decision puts the administration at odds with some Congressional Democrats who believe the program is flawed and burdensome for employers.

"I support greater enforcement of workplace immigration laws, and strong penalties for employers that knowingly violate these laws, but I do not believe E-Verify is the best way to achieve those goals," Rep. Joe Baca, D-San Bernardino, said in a statement.

E-Verify "incorrectly rejects too many workers who should be approved, especially foreign-born workers who have become naturalized citizens," Baca added. "This creates a discriminatory system."

E-Verify has been available on a voluntary basis to employers since 1997. More than 134,000 employers have signed up, and nearly 97 percent are automatically cleared to work, according to Homeland Security officials.

"It is good to see that the administration understands how important it is to protect American jobs from being taken by illegal immigrants," said Lewis, senior Republican on the House Appropriations Committee. "Even though the administration has taken this step, it is important to make it a permanent part of our immigration law."

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