E-Verify

[1] The site was originally established in 1996 as the Basic Pilot Program to prevent companies from hiring people who had violated immigration laws and entered the United States illegally.

[9] The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Verification Division reported that over 16,000 E-Verify compliance letters were issued in Fiscal Year 2010.

[6] A 2016 study found that E-Verify "reduces the number of less-educated prime-age immigrants from Mexico and Central America—immigrants who are likely to be unauthorized—living in a state.

A federal contractor or subcontractor who has a contract with the FAR E-Verify clause also has the option to verify the company's entire workforce.

The survey also found that some states have moved in the opposite direction, limiting or discouraging use of E-Verify: California, Rhode Island, and Illinois.

[20] As of January 1, 2023 the following states require E-Verify for some or all employers: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

[27] Additional legislation prohibits the state government from entering into a contract with any contractor or subcontractor that fails to use E-Verify.

[50] On January 4, 2011, Governor Rick Scott signed an executive order requiring agencies under his direction to use E-Verify.

[54][55] On May 10, 2023, Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1718 that required all employers, both public and private with 25 or more employees, to use E-Verify.

[59] An official at the state's Department of Labor told the Center for Immigration Studies that funding has not been made available for the auditing process rendering the law largely ineffective.

[29] On 14 July 2013, Idaho joined the E-verify RIDE program, which allows employers to view State ID and driver's license photos during the verification process.

[63] The United States Department of Homeland Security sued to prevent the law from taking effect as scheduled on 1 January 2008.

[67] Among other things, the law requires state agencies and political subdivisions to use E-Verify to determine work authorization status of all employees hired after 30 June 2011.

646, encourages all private businesses to verify the legal status of their new hires by providing employers a safe harbor against sanctions if they use E-Verify or another method for determining worker eligibility.

[24] As of August 2012 Mississippi was the first state to use USCIS's RIDE program as part of its E-Verify efforts (Florida and Idaho have also since joined).

The RIDE program compares driver's licenses or other government-issued ID cards against data held by the state's motor vehicle agency.

[77] The law requires use of E-Verify by state agencies (and political subdivisions) and by public contractors starting 1 October 2009.

[81] Among other things, the law requires public contractors and subcontractors to use E-Verify (or a third-party program with an equal or higher degree of reliability, should one appear).

After 1 July 2008, public employers were prohibited from entering into contracts for the physical performance of services within Oklahoma unless the contractor (and any subcontractor) uses E-Verify to verify the work authorization of all new employees.

[24] On 5 July 2012, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed "Public Works Employment Verification Act" (S.B.

"[82] The legislation was approved by both houses of the state legislature and aims to ensure that all construction jobs funded by taxpayers employ only documented workers by checking employees' information against government records.

Lincoln Chafee rescinded Executive Order 08-01, calling it "an agent of divisiveness, incivility, and distrust among the state's citizens.

The original version of the law gave employers the option of confirming the eligibility of new employees through either E-Verify or by checking the validity of driver's licenses and other identification cards.

During the first year – 1 July 2009, through 30 June 2010, when the law applied to businesses with 100 or more employees (a total of 2,300 employers) — South Carolina conducted approximately 1,900 audits.

[91] Effective January 1, 2023 the Tennessee Lawful Employment Act was amended to reduce the minimum number of employees from 50 to 35.

[92] In December 2014, Governor Rick Perry issued Executive Order RP 80, which requires all state agencies to verify employment eligibility of all current and future employees through the E-Verify system.

[98] Effective 1 December 2013, employers with more than an average of 50 employees for the previous 12 months entering into a work or service contract in excess of $50,000 with any state agency must register and participate in E-Verify.

Failure to comply with the law results in the employer being debarred from contracting with any state agency for a period up to one year.

[105] The American Farm Bureau Federation opposes E-Verify and stated in July 2011 that it "could have a significant, negative impact on U.S. farm production, not only threatening the livelihoods of many farmers and ranchers in labor-intensive agriculture but jeopardizing as well the health of the rural economy, where agriculture plays an important role.

Massie was quoted saying over a tweet, "National E-verify bill contains vague references to two pilot programs of non-photographic technology you must use to prove your identity to DHS in order to get a job.