Sen. Grassley’s new E-Verify bill is a GREAT SOLUTION to our enforcement challenges

On Thursday, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) introduced S. 1151, the Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act, to identify unauthorized workers and illegal aliens engaged in identity fraud and theft. The bill is one of NumbersUSA’s “Great Solutions” for fixing immigration policies in the 119th Congress.

After the largest wave of illegal immigration in history (2021-2025), the Executive and Legislative branches will have to muster the will to enforce the law and close existing loopholes in order to restore credibility to our immigration system. There is no bigger loophole than the voluntary nature of E-Verify, which enables employers and the government to turn a blind eye to illegal hiring.

The Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act would:

• Permanently reinstate E-Verify
• Require employers E-Verify new and existing employees within one year
• Require Social Security, Internal Revenue, and Homeland Security to collaborate on a program to identify unauthorized aliens, many of whom also commit some form of identity fraud or theft.

“E-Verify is a proven tool for employers, including myself, to ensure our businesses are legally staffed,” Sen. Grassley said in a statement announcing S. 1151. “By reducing incentives for illegal immigration and safeguarding job opportunities for Americans and other legal workers, our bill would boost accountability in the workforce and support our nation’s small businesses.”

Joining Sen. Grassley as original cosponsors (click their names for their Immigration-Reduction Grade Cards) are:

• Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL)
• Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
• Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)
• Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)
• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)
• Sen. Mike Lee (Utah)
• Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-WV)

“We must get serious about enforcing all of our country’s immigration laws, including those pertaining to participation in the workforce,” Sen. Tuberville said.

“The E-Verify program is critical to ensuring that illegal aliens cannot work unlawfully in the United States. The American people delivered a clear verdict on this issue last November, and I will continue working to ensure that verdict is carried out,” Sen. Britt said.

“I encourage my colleagues to expeditiously advance this bill,” added Sen. Cruz.

E-Verify is the single most important tool to curb the hiring of illegal aliens who wish to compete for jobs with American workers.

• E-Verify allows employers to differentiate between legal and illegal workers without worrying about the authenticity of IDs. Most employers want to do the right thing but if they do, they can be undercut by unscrupulous companies that thrive on illegal labor. EVerify will level the playing field.
• E-Verify only requires spending a few extra seconds typing in data already required for the federal I-9 form.
• Employers that use E-Verify in good faith are given a safe harbor, so hiring an illegal alien that E-Verify did not detect will not adversely affect the employer.