The E-Verify program
Author: Deportation Lawyer Alena Shautsova
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), E-Verify uses online databases to compare employees’ information filled out on an I-9 form with data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The comparison allows the government to verify employment eligibility in terms of valid immigration status.
The E-Verify program is one of the government’s efforts to cut down on illegal immigration by making employers provide information. However, according to a recent Forbes article an E-verify government audit showed that an estimated 1.2 million to 3.5 million legal employees would be erroneously labeled ineligible. Intel, one of the world’s leading computer chip manufacturers used E-Verify in 2008 and found that 12 percent of its employees were declared ineligible. According to Intel, correcting the errors was tremendously costly, time-consuming and resulted in lost productivity. Even worse, the error rate with E-Verify shows that a projected 770,000 qualified, innocent workers would lose their jobs. In one case, Juan Carlos, who is a naturalized U.S. Citizen lost his job and had to pay $400 for a new naturalization certificate to clear his status because E-Verify denied him eligible. The error arose out of a DHS failure to notify SSA of Juan’s status change through naturalization.
Currently, only four percent of American businesses have implemented E-Verify. However, E-Verify enforcement is one of the stipulations in the Obama Administration’s proposed immigration reform. Obviously, this bug needs ironing out. The Illinois legislature passed a law baring Illinois employers from using E-Verify until the SSA and DHS can demonstrate their ability to clear errors within three days. The DHS is suing Illinois over the law.
If you face problems with denial of your legal status, need help obtaining a green card or are looking for a path to citizenship, get legal help. A New York Deportation lawyer can help protect your rights.