Firms are rewarded for using E-Verify

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Homeland Security Department will give a “seal of approval” to businesses volunteering to use an electronic program to check workers’ immigration status.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday that the public should know which companies are following the law. The problem is, the program known as E-Verify is still under development and the law does not require employers to use it. They are required to use a paper system.

In addition, some businesses that use E-Verify have been found to have hired undocumented workers who used stolen, fraudulent or borrowed IDs.

About 169,000 employers of the 7 million U.S. employers use E-Verify. Napolitano made the announcement at an employers meeting about immigration enforcement in Washington.

The E-Verify program “will let consumers know which businesses are working hard to follow the law and are committed to protecting employment opportunities,” Napolitano said.

The approval seal that Napolitano unveiled has large letters on it that say “I E-Verify,” with a waving American flag. Below it, in smaller letters, the label reads: “This business uses E-Verify in its hiring processes to achieve a lawful work force.”

Although Homeland Security has been working to shrink the error rate of E-Verify, it does sometimes flag legal workers as illegal. The program also cannot determine whether someone is using bogus documents.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement started a similar program in 2007 known as ICE Image. It had other requirements, including that the employer undergo an audit of its Form I-9, a document used to check workers’ immigration status.

Congress has given Homeland Security $137 million to run E-Verify for three more years.

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