Did President Obama’s speech provide clues to his vision for Immigration Reform?
Posted by Harsharn Makkar
The answer depends on each’s interpretation. However, the President did comment on who has to be held accountable: the Government, the Employers who hire illegal workers, and the illegal immigrants themselves. He mentioned that the system is broken since it does not encourage students graduating from our own schools to work here; consequently, we train our competition. He also discussed that undocumented workers continue to risk their lives because the demand exists. Thus, the employers who exploit these workers must be held accountable if Immigration Reform is going to work. Finally, he talked about requiring illegal immigrants to be held accountable for their actions as well so we do not encourage another wave of illegal immigrants. He did not say that he is for Amnesty. However, he did remark that it is not practical to round up 11 million undocumented aliens and deport them. Whether those comments translates into Amnesty remains to be seen.
What is E-Verify?
Posted by Harsharn Makkar
E-Verify (Employment Eligibility Verification Program) is an Internet-based system that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees. The system is designed to confirm employment eligibility with Social Security Administration and check for work visas with Department of Homeland Security. The participation in this program is voluntary and it is free. However, a number of states do require certain employers such as federal contractors to participate and comply with federal work authorization verification program. The program also allows employers to compare photos of new hire’s employment authorization documents (EAD) or permanent resident (Greed Card) against nearly 15 million images stored in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases. In addition, USCIS has improved contact services to obtain program information and assistance. To learn more about the program visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify. Finally, employers can learn about the program and training in Atlanta, visit http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/gc_1177436339963.shtm