On Closer Examination Administration’s “Commitment to E-Verify” Is a Commitment to Keeping Illegal Aliens on the Job, Cautions FAIR
(Washington, D.C.) — Today’s announcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claiming that it has “strengthened employment eligibility verification,” in fact significantly weakens an executive order issued by President Bush exactly one year ago, charges the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The policy directive issued by Secretary Janet Napolitano would protect illegal aliens currently employed by federal contractors and in the private sector.
According to the DHS announcement, federal contractors would be required to use E-Verify to check the work authorization only of new employees. The Bush executive order that the Obama administration has repeatedly delayed implementing, would have required that federal contractors verify that all employees including existing ones be screened using E-Verify.
At the same time as they were punching holes in a policy designed to prevent illegal aliens from being paid by the taxpayers, the administration took steps to protect illegal aliens currently working in private sector jobs. Secretary Napolitano also announced that DHS is rescinding the No-Match rule. No-Match requires employers who are notified by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that workers’ Social Security numbers do not match data in SSA’s database to either correct the discrepancies, or terminate those employees. By rescinding the No-Match rule, the administration is effectively giving employers license to retain illegal workers.
“From Day One, the Obama administration has made it clear that they do not want to enforce laws against illegal aliens in the workplace,” said Dan Stein, president of FAIR. “Politically, that has become an untenable position as unemployment has reach 26-year highs and some 14.7 million Americans are out of work.
“Rather than enforce policies that would free-up millions of jobs, in the public and private sectors, the administration has chosen a bait-and-switch approach,” Stein continued. “While publicly claiming to be adding bite to E-Verify and other workplace enforcement rules, behind the scenes the administration has been extracting as many teeth as it possibly could.”
FAIR has consistently called for full implementation of the Bush executive order, requiring that federal contractors verify the work eligibility of all employees. The organization also supports phasing in mandatory use of E-Verify for all businesses to ensure that America’s workforce is legal and that U.S. workers do not lose jobs and wages to illegal aliens.
“President Obama has stated that holding employers accountable for who they hire is the key to ending mass illegal immigration,” Stein said. “Unfortunately, his words have not been matched by action. Today’s announcement by DHS confirms that his administration is more committed to protecting illegal aliens than protecting jobs for Americans who desperately need them.”