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E-Verify to be permanent in 2110 DHS Bill

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  • E-Verify to be permanent in 2110 DHS Bill

    Something I didn't know, and thought Boxer was lying to me...

    Dear Mr. ***********:
    *
    Thank you for contacting me about E-Verify, the electronic verification program for foreign workers.* I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.
    *
    E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees to work in the United States.*
    *
    The Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill*includes $19 million in funding for E-Verify and would permanently reauthorize the program. I voted for this bill, which passed the Senate on July 9, 2009 by a vote of 84-6.*
    *
    In addition, the Obama Administration recently announced that starting September 8, 2009, federal contracts will be awarded only to companies that are enrolled in the E-Verify program.*
    *
    Again, thank you for writing to me.* Please feel free to contact me in the future about this or any other issue of concern to you.

    Barbara Boxer
    United States Senator

    http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/...y_06-12-09.pdf
    I did a bunch of searching, but mainly found lawyer-ese references in the 2010 homeland security bill which referenced exchanging the word "E-Verify" for "pilot" in the 1996 immigration bill. I got lost wading through all that.

    Surfing around some more I came upon this article: http://www.hrtools.com/news/alerts/s...t_program.aspx

    Senate makes E-Verify a permanent program

    On July 8, 2009, the Senate approved by voice vote an amendment to the $42.9 billion FY 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 2892) that would permanently reauthorize the federal government’s E-Verify program and require federal contractors and subcontractors to use the program in order to verify that all new hires and existing employees directly performing work under the terms of the contract be authorized to work in the United States. The amendment was introduced by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala). A motion to table the amendment was defeated prior to adoption by a vote of 44 to 53.

    E-Verify is the voluntary, web-based program operated by the Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the Social Security Administration, that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees.

    The underlying appropriations bill, which the Senate began debating on July 7, already contained a provision extending the E-Verify program for three years and provide $118.5 million to operate the program. As marked up and sent to the Senate for debate, the Homeland Security Appropriations bill would provide $2.9 billion above FY 2009 funding levels, excluding emergency funding provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Omnibus Appropriations Act, according to the committee. The bill would provide nearly $5.5 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, DHS’s enforcement bureau, $455.9 million above FY 2009 levels. Nearly $140 million would be used for worksite enforcement investigations with $10 million specifically earmarked above the request to hire 100 special agents to perform audits of employers.

    An amendment attached to the Session’s amendment would make permanent the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot, which allows qualifying foreign investors and their families to obtain green cards if the investor (among other things) invests $500,000 or $1 million in a commercial enterprise that will benefit the US economy and provides 10 direct or indirect jobs to US workers.

    On June 24, the House approved a two-year extension of E-Verify when it passed the Homeland Security Appropriations bill in a 389–37 vote. This means that the bills will have to be reconciled, likely in a conference committee. The FY 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill funds DHS's budget starting October 1.
    I previously found a congressional check off list that I believe stated the bill now only awaits Obama's signature.

    Since the program is voluntary but readily available, wouldn't that in reality nullify an employer's claim that he didn't know an employee wasn't authorized to work in the United States?
    Last edited by ilbegone; 08-28-2009, 02:01 PM.

  • #2
    The only way to do this RIGHT is to make E-Verify MANDATORY, not voluntary!

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