The Indiana House and both chambers of the Alabama legislature have approved legislation that would require businesses in the state to use E-Verify. The bill approved in Indiana is the tougher of the two, requiring most employers to check new hires through E-Verify, while the Alabama bill requires limited use of E-Verify.
Two enterprising Reuters reporters tracked down a few of the recently-fired illegal Chipotle restaurant workers who admitted that they committed identity theft and/or fraud to land a job at the fast-food chain. Since illegal employment and identity theft have been linked before, these confessions aren't surprising. What the fired workers told reporters next, however, is more newsworthy.
The Georgia House and Senate have agreed to a bill that will require businesses in the state with at least 10 employers to use E-Verify. The bill expands the state's current E-Verify law that requires state contractors to use E-Verify.
Immigration enforcement bills made progress in Tennessee while Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has said Indiana should focus on mandatory E-Verify legislation
The government-shutdown crisis apparently is over but the search for more spending cuts will continue throughout the year. For two days this last week, I talked with radio hosts across the nation about the role of immigration policy in driving up government costs. Here's the key point that nearly all Members of Congress are missing as they insist on treating immigration policy as separate from their deficit debate: A lot of future government spending can be reduced by putting Americans back to work in jobs currently held by illegal aliens and in jobs that otherwise will go to new immigrants.
The Alabama House overwhelmingly passed, 73-to-28, an E-Verify measure on Tuesday that requires all businesses to check new hires through the system. The bill also allows police officers to check the immigration status of individuals detained or arrested and requires verification of citizenship before receiving public services.
Reps. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.), Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), Jeff Landry (R-La.), and David McKinley (R-W.V.) have co-sponsored H.R.800, the E-LAW Act, that was introduced by Rep. John Carter (R-Texas). The bill would require all employers to use E-Verify on new hires and existing employees within two years.
Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas) has joined NumbersUSA's 5-for-5 club after sponsoring at least one bill for each of our 5 Great Solutions. Most recently, Rep. Marchant was an original co-sponsor to Rep. Gary Miller's (R-Calif.) LEAVE Act that would require all employers to use E-Verify.
Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) has introduced the Loophole Elimination and Verification Enforcement (LEAVE) Act, H.R.1196, which is a comprehensive immigration enforcement bill that would require the use of E-Verify for all employers nationwide, end the practice of birthright citizenship, prohibit states from granting in-state tuition benefits to illegal aliens, increase the number of border patrol and immigration and customs enforcement agents, and assist local municipalities in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, among other things.
A new report from the Public Policy Institute of California indicates that Arizona's illegal aliens population declined after the state passed the Legal Arizona Workers Act in 2007 that required all businesses to use E-Verify.
MORE OF OUR ARGUMENTS TO THE SUPREME COURT -- Regardless of what happens to the new Utah amnesty law and despite Arizona's recent decision not to pass further laws against illegal immigration, the most important decision remains to be made this spring. That would be the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on whether Arizona -- and, thus, any other state, county and city -- can order employers to use E-Verify to screen illegal aliens from jobs.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell ordered that all executive branch state agencies must use E-Verify to check all new hires beginning June 1, 2011. The state legislature had passed a bill last year that requires state agencies to begin using E-Verify by the end of 2012, but Gov. McDonnell's executive order implements the law 18 months sooner.
Rep. Sue Myrick has joined NumbersUSA's 5-for-5 club by co-sponsoring all 5 of our 5 Great Immigration Bills. On Wednesday, Rep. Myrick co-sponsored the CLEAR Act - a bill that would assist local law agencies in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) has joined the NumbersUSA 5-for-5 club. On Thursday, he added his name to the list of co-sponsors for Rep. Bob Goodlatte's (R-Va.) SAFE for America Act (H.R.704) that would end the Visa Lottery. By doing so, he has now co-sponsored at least one bill in each of our 5 Great Bill categories.
Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) has become the first Congressman in the 112th Congress to earn 5-for-5 status from NumbersUSA. Rep. Jones earned the status by co-sponsoring all five of our "5 Great Immigration-Reduction Bills".
The Georgia House approved legislation today that will require the mandatory use of E-Verify by a 113-to-56 margin. In addition to mandating E-Verify, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 (HB 87) would also allow local law enforcement officers to run immigration status checks under certain circumstances and establish penalties for knowingly harboring or transporting illegal aliens.
U.S. citizens comprise 25 percent of all domestic crop laborers. Another 21 percent are legal immigrants. Together, they make up nearly half of the agricultural workers that provide the nation's food supply. Yet the media is conspicuously silent on these legal farm workers, while devoting copious copy to the interests of their illegal competitors and their employers.
Before wrapping up its 2011 legislative session, the Virginia Legislature approved several immigration-enforcement measures, including an expansion of the state's current E-Verify law and a bill that would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel a state ID or driver's license for known illegal aliens. The bills are expected to be signed into law by Governor Bob McDonnell.
An Arizona-style immigration enforcement bill has passed through the Indiana Senate, 31-to-18, and now moves to the House for approval. The comprehensive bill, introduced by State Sen. Mike Delph, would require the use of E-Verify and allow local police to check immigration status in certain situations.
It turns out that a few of New York City's most aggressive Meter Maids are able to shake more money out of illegal parkers in a year that the entire Obama Administration is fining employers of illegal aliens nationwide.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) has introduced bi-partisan legislation that would require all employers in the United States to use E-Verify for both new hires and existing employees. The Jobs Recovery by Ensuring a Legal American Workforce Act of 2011 (H.R.800) was introduced with three original co-sponsors, including two Democrats from North Carolina -- Reps. Mike McIntyre and Heath Shuler. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is also a co-sponsor.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement hosted a hearing Thursday morning on the merits of E-Verify and its capability to protect American jobs from illegal workers. The Committee conducted a demonstration of the E-Verify where it made its case as a quick, easy, and user-friendly program for determining the employment eligibility of a new employee. But that didn't keep some of the more skeptical Members from offering their opposition.
The Virginia House passed several immigration enforcement bills on Tuesday, including a mandatory E-Verify bill and a bill that would prohibit illegal aliens from attending state colleges and universities. All bills originated in the House, and Tuesday was the last day the chamber could vote on its own bills.
A Virginia State Senate Committee has unanimously approved a bill (SB1049) that would require the mandatory use of E-Verify for all state contractors with at least 50 employees and a contract with the state for more than $50,000. The original bill, offered by Democratic State Sen. George Barker, would have applied to all state contractors, but the Courts of Justice passed the bill with a substitute amendment containing the new limitations.
An audit conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement forced Chipotle stores in Minnesota to fire hundreds of illegal workers. ICE has now expanded its investigation to the Chiptole stores in the District of Columbia and Virginia.
A bill that would require all state agencies and contractors to use E-Verify passed through the House Committee on Labor and Industry in Kentucky's state house today. The bill offered by State Rep. Bob Damron has passed through the House in each of the last two years, but failed in the Senate.
In the debate about whether Obama's emphasis on "soft pencil pusher" enforcement is enough, the small patch of common ground between him and his Republican opponents is mandatory E-Verify, which is the strongest "soft" tool. As long as it remains unused on the shelf, Obama has no hope of proving that enforcement without mass arrests and deportations can work. He should immediately request mandatory E-Verify.
The Pew Hispanic Center's annual report on the number of illegal aliens in the U.S. provides this astounding conclusion: The number of illegal foreign workers holding U.S. jobs has remained steady at about 8 million, just barely below the level in 2007 before the recession and disappearance of millions of U.S. jobs. The federal government has been an utter failure at protecting the interests of unemployed Americans.
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) has introduced a new House bill that would require the mandatory use of E-Verify for all businesses in the United States. The Triple E-VICT Act would help the 22 million Americans who can't find full-time work by ensuring jobs don't go to illegal aliens. Rep. DeFazio is a pro-environment Democrat who also understands the impact that high immigration levels, partly caused by illegal immigration, have on future environmental sustainability.
A bill that would make E-Verify mandatory for most employers in the state and a bill that would tighten admissions to state colleges and universities have been approved by the House Immigration Subcommittee. Both bills (HB1727 and HB1465) passed the subcommittee with a 4-to-2 vote.
Hundreds of state legislators across the country this winter are trying to put their unemployed residents back to work by passing mandatory E-Verify laws. Their main obstacle is business lobbyists claiming such laws would "burden" employers, and that federal courts might overturn the laws. As you help these E-Verify efforts in your states, please read NumbersUSA's legal brief on why the business lobbyists are wrong. . . .
10:32 a.m. -- Immigration as a topic of pre-speech discussion has been almost nowhere to be seen over the weekend through today. Give Pres. Obama's strong inclinations toward amnesty and more foreign workers, that should give reason for some relief, I suppose.
We held our breath before his first two SOTU speeches, expecting the worst but happy that he barely mentioned immigration, a signal that he was not going to invest too much political capital in pushing his unpopular amnesty positions.
National restaurant chain, Chipotle Mexican Grill, has fired hundreds of illegal aliens from its workforce in Minnesota freeing up jobs for unemployed Americans. The chain announced that a substantial number of its 1200 employees in 50 restaurants across the state had been identified by a federal immigration audit of their employee records.
The Government Accountability Office's (GAO) report on E-Verify included some happy news (E-Verify is more accurate than ever) and some disappointing news (ICE's misplaced priorities). I was also disappointed in some of the things the report did not include. Here are some highlights from the report and my response. . .
A new report from the Government Accountability Office reveals that improvements made to the E-Verify system have resulted in the reduction of mismatch rates, ensuring employer compliance, and establishing better safeguards for employees’ personal information. The report comes at the same time that a new survey of E-Verify users say the system is an effective tool to ensure a legal workforce.
A bill similar to Arizona's immigration-enforcement law cleared its first hurdle in Kentucky passing through the state senate after a vote late last week. The measure passed by a 24-14 margin and would allow police to check the immigration status of individuals they stop.
New House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) wrote an op-ed for Politico.com that outlines his committee's plan for the new Congress when it comes to immigration. Chairman Smith says that a top priority will be to oversee the enforcement of federal immigration laws, which will potentially free up 7 million jobs held by illegal aliens for America's unemployed.
Following through on a campaign promise, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed four executive orders minutes after being sworn in, including one that requires all state agencies to use E-Verify. Florida joins a list of 13 other states that have mandatory E-Verify laws or executive orders in place.
Perhaps the most amazing part of the suit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is its claim that Arizona doesn't have the right to pull the business license of an employer that refuses to use E-Verify. Our amicus brief to the Supreme Court provides our own take on the fact that federal law specifically mentions license revocation as something states CAN do. Take a look . . .
NumbersUSA was happy to oppose the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in this case that the Supreme Court will decide over the next few weeks. Read here the outline of our "amicus" presentation to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the state of Arizona's law requiring all employers to use E-Verify to keep illegal aliens from holding jobs sought by unemployed Americans. Nothing is more central to the immigration debate this year than mandatory E-Verify. And the biggest part of that probably will be efforts in the states.
In response to President Obama’s call for action next year on the DREAM Act and so-called comprehensive immigration reform, House and Senate Republican leaders said they would oppose any attempt to amnesty illegal aliens, according to the Washington Post. Incoming House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) said, "It is pointless to talk about any new immigration bills that grant amnesty until we secure the border, since such bills will only encourage more illegal immigration."
Good news and troubling news came out of Pres. Obama's meeting about immigration with Hispanic Congressmen on Tuesday. All at the meeting seemed to agree with our NumbersUSA live webcast assessment after the Senate vote last Saturday that there won't be any amnesty threats in Congress over the next two years. But news reports raise the troubling possibility that the President was promising to veto bills that Congress might pass to move illegal aliens out of their jobs so unemployed Americans can have them. I see wiggle room in the statements attributed to the President, but time will tell. . . .
Illegal aliens in Arizona are packing their belongings and preparing to move back to their countries, or at least out of Arizona, according to an article by the Latin American Herald Tribune. They cite as reasons Arizona’s tough enforcement laws and the unlikelihood that the federal government will pass an immigration-reform law any time soon.
All the tinkering with the DREAM Act amnesty to try to get some extra votes to pass the bill is failing to address what probably is the single biggest problem with the bill. That would be its failure to turn off the jobs magnet that allowed the illegal-alien parents of the illegal-alien students to raise them in this country and into their present predicament.
Rhode Island Governor-elect Lincoln Chafee said that one of his first actions in office will be to rescind an executive order that requires state agencies and vendors to use E-Verify. However a fact-check by the Providence Journal shows Chafee hasn't done his homework.
