Smith Applauds E-Verify Expansion

Smith Applauds E-Verify Expansion

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today praised the decision to expand the E-Verify Self-Check system to every state and territory in the U.S.  In 2011, Self Check was launched in 21 states and the District of Columbia and beginning next Thursday it will be made available to all U.S. workers.   This component of E-Verify allows U.S. workers to check their work eligibility before they apply for a job. 

Chairman Smith:  “It is good for American workers that E-Verify continues to be expanded and improved.  The administration today announced that every U.S. worker in all states and U.S. territories now has access to E-Verify’s self-check system, which allows individuals to check their work eligibility prior to being hired.  This will help U.S. workers make sure that their records are accurate so that they will have no problem getting a job if the employer uses E-Verify.

“But more should be done to encourage the use of E-Verify by American employers and employees.  Twenty-three million Americans are currently unemployed or can’t find full-time work.  Meanwhile, seven million illegal workers hold jobs in the U.S.  We could open up millions of jobs for citizens and legal immigrants if we simply enforced worksite immigration laws. 

“That’s why I’ve introduced the Legal Workforce Act, to require all U.S. employers to use E-Verify to check whether newly hired employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S.  This program is free, quick and easy to use – persons eligible to work are immediately confirmed 99.5% of the time.  This bill is one of the most significant steps we can take to put millions of Americans back to work and curb incentives that drive illegal immigration.”