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States Pass E-Verify Laws

Overview

Several states have passed legislation requiring employers to use E-Verify. E-Verify is an employment verification tool managed by the Department of Homeland Security that uses information from the Social Security Administration and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to determine an applicant's eligibility to work.

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Update

Missouri Governor Signs Law Targeting Illegal Aliens

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed into law today legislation that will make it harder for illegal aliens living in the state to receive benefits and harder to find jobs.

The new legislations requires all public employers to use the E-Verify
system to verify the legality of a potential employee and requires and
individual to prove their citizenship status before receiving state
benefits such as food stamps and housing. The bill also punishes those
localities that adopt policies to not cooperate with federal
immigration authorities.

Missouri joins Arizona, Oklahoma, and Georgia in instituting state-wide
anti-illegal immigration laws. So far, the laws in these states have
been successful at removing the "jobs magnet."

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Polls

Gannett Poll Finds NJ Residents Oppose Rewards for Illegal Aliens

Oppose Rewards for Illegal Migration - Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Sixty-two percent of state residents oppose granting illegal immigrants some type of limited driver's license, according to a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll.

Only 32 percent said children of illegal immigrants deserved in-state tuition rates, while 20 percent favored the lower rates for illegal immigrants themselves.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090324/NEWS01/903240343/1006/

In the News

Governor of Arizona Is in Line for Cabinet

Quoted - Friday, November 21, 2008

"My first thought is that Obama could do a lot worse," said Roy Beck, president of Numbers USA, a policy group in the Washington area, who went on to praise Ms. Napolitano’s law enforcement background while denouncing her support for a guest worker program as "amnesty."

Randal C. Archibold, New York Times, 20 November 2008

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/us/politics/21napolitano.html?_r=1&ref=us

Amnesty lobby is immigration Goliath

Quoted - Monday, May 14, 2007

"The money and the lobbying power is stacked against us," said a representative of NumbersUSA. "This is an issue that people see and experience the effects of on an everyday basis. There is definitely a very powerful grass-roots activism on this issue."

NumbersUSA has more than 300,000 activists sending faxes and calling Congress, an increase from 100,000 two years ago. More than 1 million people receive e-mail alerts from the group.

Politico.com

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8CD543A4-3048-5C12-00D21E1EA5580F60

Idaho agencies must show workers are legal if they want federal economic stimulus money

In the News - Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Gov. Butch Otter has signed an executive order requiring state agencies to prove they are employing only legally documented workers if they want a share of the state's $1.24 billion in federal economic stimulus money.

The order also requires contractors and subcontractors on state projects to prove their employees are legal.

Associated Press

http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/790131.html

More companies use immigration database

In the News - Monday, June 1, 2009

What do Continental Airlines, the Houston Ballet, the city of Dallas and Sen. John Cornyn all have in common?

They all use the federal government’s E-Verify program to check if their employees are authorized to work in the U.S. legally.

A Department of Homeland Security database of the more than 118,000 public, private and government employers enrolled in E-Verify as of May 1 shows companies big (Tyson Foods) and small (the Ballard Street Café in Wylie) are signed up for the program.

By Susan Carroll -- Houston Chronicle

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/immigration/6451732.html

Ohio Lawmaker to Push E-Verify

In the News - Thursday, May 14, 2009

Legislation proposed by state Rep. Courtney Combs would require public and private employers to register with E-Verify, currently a voluntary federal program operated by the Social Security Administration and United States Department of Homeland Security.

By Travis Gettys -- WLWT.com

http://www.wlwt.com/news/19463170/detail.html

Missouri lawmakers vote to reject federal Real ID Act

In the News - Wednesday, May 13, 2009

"Missouri lawmakers on Wednesday voted to direct the Department of Revenue to not comply with federal driver’s license requirements.

The federal Real ID Act, passed in 2005, requires states to collect and verify certain information about applicants for driver’s licenses and state ID cards. It was passed in response to national security concerns after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

But some Missouri lawmakers argue Real ID is an unwelcome intrusion into privacy and requires several new technologies that could increase the risk of identity theft...."

Lee Logan, AP, 13 May 2009

http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1195917.html

Personal pain from the front lines of immigration reform battle

In the News - Wednesday, May 13, 2009

"Margaret Heintz sputtered in frustration.

"There's nothing we can do," the Marshalltown, Iowa, woman said to her daughter, Mona Kilborn, when they talked about their shared point of aggravation -- illegal immigrants.

"Mom, you can do something," Kilborn said. "You can write your congressman. I'll even get you the address."

So in September 2007, the 90-year-old Heintz put pen to paper for her first letter to a politician. Two weeks later, she died at the hands of an illegal immigrant.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Kilborn said. "This one issue, it's changed our lives forever....""

Bekah Porter, (Dubuque, IA) Telegraph Herald, 13 May 2009

http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=243128

E-Verify ID checks gaining in popularity

In the News - Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Bergman cited an October raid of an N.C.-based House of Raeford Farms plant in Greenville, S.C. More than 300 workers were detained. The plant manager, the human resource manager and about a dozen supervisors were arrested on immigration charges.“When you actually hear that they're going to go ahead and prosecute, take to court the people who actually did the hiring, that's a big concern for HR people,” he said. “Employers are paying a lot more attention to who they are hiring, especially here in the Carolinas.”

By Franco Ordoñez -- Charlotte Observer

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/721012.html

We must enforce Utah's new immigration law

In the News - Tuesday, May 12, 2009

"For The Tribune's editorial board and Salt Lake City's police chief to call Senate Bill 81 inhumane and uncompassionate demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the world in which we live and just how different perceptions of morality and humanity have become.

I am sure I am considered one of those "ideologues" on Capitol Hill -- notwithstanding my wife being a legal immigrant I married in the Ukraine and with whom I experienced the immigration process firsthand, my business partner being from Ethiopia, or in passing the first human trafficking legislation in Utah, as well as other legislation to help legal refugees.

Op-ed by Chris Herrod, Salt Lake Tribune, 12 May 2009

"For The Tribune's editorial board and Salt Lake City's police chief to call Senate Bill 81 inhumane and uncompassionate demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the world in which we live and just how different perceptions of morality and humanity have become.

I am sure I am considered one of those "ideologues" on Capitol Hill -- notwithstanding my wife being a legal immigrant I married in the Ukraine and with whom I experienced the immigration process firsthand, my business partner being from Ethiopia, or in passing the first human trafficking legislation in Utah, as well as other legislation to help legal refugees.

What is compassionate depends largely from whose perspective one looks. Compassion is much different from the perspectives of a potential immigrant living in a refugee camp, legal immigrants trying to help their families come here legally, a taxpayer or parent wanting a background check to mean something, or unemployed U.S. citizens trying to feed their families...."

Op-ed by Chris Herrod, Salt Lake Tribune, 12 May 2009

Show More http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_12352054

Oklahoma defends law aimed at illegal immigrants

In the News - Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Attorneys for Oklahoma went before a federal appeals court Monday to defend a law that requires companies doing business with the state to use a federal database to verify their workers and contractors are eligible to work in the U.S.

Sections of the law were blocked by a federal judge in Oklahoma in June after the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others challenged it, saying the "E-Verify" program is unreliable and unfairly imposes penalties on employers.

By P. Solomon Banda - Associated Press

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/04/ap6375722.html

Rhode Island House committees approve E-Verify, photo ID measures

In the News - Thursday, April 30, 2009

The issues have drawn fire from all sides. But Wednesday, there were no fireworks as separate General Assembly committees voted quickly and quietly to approve legislation seeking to crack down on both voter fraud and Rhode Island businesses that employ undocumented immigrants.

By Steve Peoples -- Providence Journal

http://www.projo.com/news/content/IMMIGRATION_BILLS_04-30-09_NOE786G_v10.3940fce.html

Sheriffs: Are you in school legally?

In the News - Tuesday, April 28, 2009

"Some border county sheriffs want Arizona schools to start asking students whether they're in this country legally.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik originated the idea and said millions of dollars in Arizona taxes go to teach English to children who have no legal right to be here. He also said there's a link involving illegal immigration, social problems and gangs.

Only thing is, a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision appears to make it illegal for school officials to ask. In a 5-4 decision, the justices overturned a Texas law that authorized school districts to refuse to enroll anyone who couldn't prove legal residence.""

Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services, 28 April 2009

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/290558