AWF Warns of E-Verify Threat in Stimulus
AWF breaks the news that Sen. Grassley may attempt to introduce a forced E-Verify amendment in the Stimulus package. Upon hearing this, we sent the below Legislative Alert to all members of the Senate. As a result, Sen. Grassley did not introduce this amendment during Finance Committee mark-up of the stimulus.
E-Verify Does Not Belong in Stimulus
Controversial program would place undue burden on businesses
On behalf of the Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), I am urging you to oppose the forced Federal imposition of the E-Verify program on private businesses as currently contained in the Stimulus package and call for the removal of this language. A quick survey of the facts will demonstrate that forcing E-Verify onto businesses is a severely-flawed policy:
o The E-Verify provision in the stimulus will place significant burdens on businesses, especially smaller companies, at the worst possible time in our economy.
o Workers who are falsely identified as illegal immigrants will be denied work due to forced compliance with a severely flawed program. The federal government need not be the root cause of wrongful termination at a time of economic uncertainty.
o E-Verify creates a high costs for businesses in a period of declining economic vitality. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce analysis concluded that a federal rule similar to that found in the stimulus currently, which requires federal contractors to use E-Verify, would lead to net societal costs of $10 billion a year.
o Employers throughout our country are voicing their opposition to forced implementation of E-Verify. Small businesses take seriously their obligation to hire legal workers but, as many have pointed out, these businesses often do not have human resources departments. Other business owners are calling E-Verify “extremely costly” and “disruptive” to the functioning of their companies.
o Business owners are already coming forward with E-Verify “horror stories.” Ken Nagel, a Phoenix, Arizona restaurant owner wanted to hire his own native-born daughter and found, after putting her information in the system, E-Verify was unable to confirm her work eligibility.
The forced conscription of businesses into E-Verify has no place in the federal stimulus package if it is truly meant to revive an ailing economy. To implement such a policy will initiate unbearable hardships for both businesses and their employees at a time when they are least prepared to face them.
AWF is a non-partisan organization that combats anti-worker legislation and works to promote free and open markets.
