Interior Enforcement
The Difference between E-Verify in a Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill and E-Verify Alone
Last month, Rep. Lamar Smith introduced the “Legal Workforce Act of 2011” (H.R. 2164), a bill which would make the E-Verify system mandatory for all employers within three years. While the Smith bill version of mandatory E-Verify has been criticized for snagging U.S. citizens and legal workers, burdening employers with additional costs and not actually catching unauthorized workers, Sen. Robert Menendez’s recent bill, “The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011,” also includes mandatory E-Verify. So why would folks support the Menendez bill when they keep hearing that E-Verify is so bad? Read More
Making E-Verify Mandatory Will Not Magically Solve Our Immigration Woes
Here we go again with the next round of “how we’re going to look tough on immigration without actually accomplishing anything.” This year, mandatory E-Verify is the magic bullet of choice. On Tuesday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced the “Legal Workforce Act,” which would expand the E-Verify program, making it mandatory for all employers in the United States. A hearing on the bill was held today in the Immigration Policy and Enforcement Subcommittee. Read More
Once Again, Congress Pursues Costly E-Verify Legislation to the Peril of U.S. Economy
Washington D.C. – On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement will hold a hearing on the “Legal Workforce Act,” another enforcement-only bill introduced today by Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX). The bill would make the electronic employment verification system “E-Verify” mandatory for all employers within two… Read More
More States Question Participation in ICE’s Secure Communities Program
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper questions state's participation in Secure Communities program Earlier this week, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced that the state of Massachusetts would not sign an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to participate in the Secure Communities program, making it the third state in recent weeks to question participation in the controversial enforcement program. That chorus of concern, however, grew louder this week as Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper questioned whether the program—which shares the fingerprints of individuals booked into local jails with federal immigration databases—is being implemented properly in Colorado. Also this week, the Los Angeles City Council voted to support a resolution that allows communities to opt-out of Secure Communities, which many argue is targeting a broader swath of people than the dangerous criminals the program states as its intended target. Read More
Why Making E-Verify Mandatory Doesn’t Solve Anything
As the national debate over E-Verify continues to heat up, some members of Congress seem intent on pushing for mass deportation strategies without taking into account the harm they will cause for American businesses and workers, and without acknowledging that making E-Verify mandatory will not resolve any underlying problems. Read More
Massachusetts Latest State to Oppose Secure Communities Program
Today, Governor Deval Patrick announced that the state of Massachusetts would not sign an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to participate in the Secure Communities program, making it the latest state to oppose the controversial program. Last week, New York Governor Cuomo announced that his state… Read More
New York Looking to End Participation in Secure Communities Program
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Yesterday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo suspended his state’s participation in the Secure Communities program. In a letter to DHS, Gov. Cuomo wrote that the Secure Communities program is “having the opposite effect” of its intended purpose to target those who pose the “greatest threat” to the community and furthermore, compromises public safety “by deterring witnesses to crime and others from working with law enforcement.” Cuomo’s statement came after receiving pressure from state legislators, advocacy organizations, and other residents including a petition to the Governor opposing Secure Communities which had over 6,300 signatures. Read More
SCOTUS E-Verify Ruling No Bellwether for Fate of SB1070
By Mary Giovagnoli and Melissa Crow Today’s Supreme Court decision upholding Arizona’s law requiring employers to use E-verify or risk losing their business licenses will, like all Supreme Court decisions, take some time to digest. What’s surprising, however, is how quickly some are already jumping to the conclusion that today’s decision signals how the Supreme Court might rule on SB 1070 when, and if, it finally makes its way to the Supreme Court. Read More
California Sheriff’s Comments Add to Saga Surrounding ICE’s Secure Communities Program
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca’s recent statements concerning the Secure Communities program is yet another development in what appears to be a saga surrounding ICE’s controversial enforcement program. Earlier this month, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn requested his state’s MOA with ICE be terminated. Advocates in New York have asked that their governor do the same. A lawmaker in San Francisco has even floated legislation that would allow counties to opt out of the program. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, ranking member on the Immigration Subcommittee, prompted a DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation to “determine the extent to which ICE uses the program to identify and remove dangerous criminal aliens from the United States." Read More
More States Voice Disapproval Over ICE’s Secure Communities Program
The national debate over ICE’s Secure Communities program has recently picked up more steam as several states’ have very publicly voiced disapproval. The program, which shares the fingerprints of individuals booked into jails with federal immigration databases, has been widely criticized for failing to target serious criminals, for increasing the potential for racial profiling, and for failing to be transparent. This week, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn sent a letter to ICE notifying them that Illinois had decided to discontinue its participation in the program and all jurisdictions previously activated were to be de-activated. Read More
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