Bush orders federal contractors to use e-Verify
posted at 8:45 am on June 10, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The Bush administration finally took serious action to have the federal government comply with its own immigration laws. George Bush amended an executive order, largely ignored since Bill Clinton issued it, to require that all contractors doing business with DC use the e-Verify system for all hiring. It will triple the number of employers using the system:
President Bush has ordered federal contractors to participate in the Department of Homeland Security’s electronic system for verifying the immigration status of their workers, greatly expanding the reach of the administration’s crackdown on employers who hire illegal immigrants.
An executive order, signed by the president on Friday and announced on Monday, requires federal contractors to use the system, known as E-Verify, to check immigration status when they hire new workers or start work under government contracts.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the measure would affect at least several hundred thousand workers a year nationwide. The status checks apply to all workers.
The order expands the E-Verify program, which has been the target of criticism and lawsuits by employers’ groups and advocates for immigrants who say the Social Security database it draws upon to check workers’ status is riddled with errors that could lead to legal workers’ being fired or rejected for employment.
This is the first time that participation in the program, which Congress established in 1996 as a voluntary system, has become mandatory for any large group of employers.
The ACLU complained yesterday about the mandatory nature of the order. Congress established the system as a voluntary method of confirming the work status of employees, and they claim that the White House is doing an “end run” around Congress with the executive order. However, the federal government has a long history of imposing hiring rules on federal contractors, most of which the ACLU cheered rather than jeered. As a customer of these contractors, the government certainly has the right to establish conditions for contracts, which companies can choose to forego by passing on the business offered by government.
The reason the ACLU objects to the executive order is that it works around a lawsuit they brought against a prior rule change that tried to accomplish the same thing. A San Francisco judge blocked that attempt, and the ACLU will now have to rethink its approach to block the executive order.
Arizona required its employers to use the e-Verify system beginning this year in its own crackdown on illegal immigrants. So far, the program appears to work well, and it has had the desired results. Undocumented workers have begun to flee the state, some into neighboring states but most out of the country. That has had an economic effect on Arizona as rental properties go empty and neighborhood businesses close from lack of clientele, but thus far Arizonans appear satisfied with its overall impact.
This order makes a lot of sense. The federal government should not hire illegal aliens, directly or indirectly. If we are to enforce employer sanctions, the first place for enforcement should be those contractors who get money from Washington. The only problem with this order is that it should have come as soon as e-Verify was established.
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Good start. Now build a frickin’ fence!!
Tim Zank on June 10, 2008 at 8:48 AM
And the first executive order that McCain will rescind will be….
D0WNT0WN on June 10, 2008 at 8:51 AM
See, proof that a verification system and employment enforcement actually work — and you don’t even have to send in guys in jack boots to forcibly deport people. But Ed, I would caution you not to over-emphasize the fact that “rental properties go empty and neighborhood businesses close from lack of clientele.” Sure, that’s true to a point. But also consider: (i) those people are not making demands on governmental and social services (e.g. jail, hospitals, education, police, welfare) and (ii) it has undoubtedly raised wages for remaining workers in the state, or at least attracted unemployed Americans from neighboring states to come in and take the jobs vacated by illegals. You have to look at the bigger picture before talking about economic doom & gloom.
Outlander on June 10, 2008 at 8:51 AM
I almost want to take back all those mean things I said about bush…
but I also almost want to ask about governent contract work. aren’t those jobs americans wont do???
Hmmm guess not.
-Wasteland Man.
WastelandMan on June 10, 2008 at 8:57 AM
It will triple the number of employers using the system:
And it will crash…
harrison on June 10, 2008 at 9:03 AM
The last time I checked, most government contracted jobs were on the upper pay scale, ie jobs that legal Americans would do——-perhaps the 49,000 that failed to enter the job market last month, (thanks to minimum wage increases) might consider applying for these jobs?
Rovin on June 10, 2008 at 9:03 AM
For the one millionth time… you can NOT chase down, catch, prosecute and evict 20 million people. But you CAN chase down, catch, prosecute and punish 20 thousand employers. I rarely agree with GWB (as you well know) but my hat is off for this one.
Jazz Shaw on June 10, 2008 at 9:04 AM
Question: what would the US unemployment rate look like if there weren’t 12 - 20 million illegals in our country?
N. O'Brain on June 10, 2008 at 9:04 AM
‘Bout time.
Now extend it to the private sector.
Maybe we can get the illegals to build it. They’re supposed to be doing the work that Americans won’t.
davidk on June 10, 2008 at 9:05 AM
The ACLU can cry me a river. The Presidency has used Executive Orders to affect domestic policy at least as far back as FDR.
irishspy on June 10, 2008 at 9:07 AM
I question the timing. Maybe Bush wants to get more illegals out of the country so they can’t vote for the Democrats this November.
BobK on June 10, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Verifying immigration status, cracking down on illegals and chasing them out of the country. Well shucks, a light bulb finally went off in somebody’s head. Will wonders never cease?
What can we expect next? Some other brainiac in the government figuring out it would be a good idea to pass legislation allowing for domestic oil drilling in ANWR and the gulf? Building more refineries? Jump-starting construction of new nuclear power plants? Building a border fence?
Nah. Congress needs to spend more time dragging McClellan in before an investigative committee hearing to verify Bush lied and people died. Yeh, that’s important!
Priority #1: Getting Re-Elected
Priority #2: Raising Campaign Money
Priority #3: Grandstanding
Priority #1006: Answering to John Q. Public
fogw on June 10, 2008 at 9:26 AM
My company and several others have participated in the trail e-Verify program for over a year. Georgia enacted a law last year which required any vendor doing business with the state to participate and certify not only for themselves but for their subcontractors as well. Several states including CO have enacted similar laws.
luckybogey on June 10, 2008 at 9:30 AM
a Fence will help keep banditos from crossing over and droping drugs off. But cracking down on employeers is what will stop the illeagal invasion. When they can not get a job they go back to Mexico. At least many will. Others will turn to violent crime, but executions would resolve that issue quite nicely.
Wyrd on June 10, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Thanks for waiting until your departure for a good move, W. We appreciate the thought and gesture, also noting the recent federal inspections of businesses that you finally allowed to occur.
Meanwhile, Chertoff has done NOTHING to link e-verify with other internet searches since e-verify can only verify whether a social-security-number is a fraudulent number, not if the person using the number is the real person assigned to that number. Again, Chertoff and Bush deserve criticism for so little so late in their game of Homeland Security. So where is the internet source for employers to verify whether a person is a citizen or NOT?! Build the fence while you pull your thumbs out of your NAFTA *ss and share some of that compassionate conservatism with tax paying citizens in preference to Mexicans. You know that all of Mexico’s businesses and profits belong to a very small elite “aristocracy” that NAFTA is designed to pay off. BUT FOR WHAT! For forcing the US to play big greengo sucker brother in Mexican’s hate/hate relationship with us? So all the Mexican aristocracy sucks every American dollar from NAFTA while the Mexican government officially sends all the Mexican poor who are willing to go on illegal missions to America to illegally take work and benefits from our citizens.
Whatever homes are “left vacant” from illegal residents runnoft, the neighbors breath a sigh of relief until gangs use the property if neighborhood watches aren’t alert.
But really, as per saying that it’s the illegal population deserting Arizona leaving properties vacant, that’s rich! “It’s the economy, stupid.” Let the bubble pop so that we can get on with life rid of the inflation shackles of high prices beyond what wages can afford. A lot of us have been waiting for prices to fall so that we can select whether a property is worth purchasing finally, considering the hazards of our future. Arizona and California have their real estate woes having inflated their real estate prices beyond reality — beyond water availability to sustain heavy populations. So now CA is imposing a 20-year water availability before allowing FURTHER development? Arizona already has dropped its ground water levels beyond reason to water lawns and keep the Fountain Hills type man-made geisers evaporating mid-air.
Off on tangent, as per water and fuel resources, it is high time to eliminate gas hog boats from the lakes before crimping what’s allowed on highways! Water supplies are for sustaining life preservation, and water ski or non-regulated boat racing is not an entertainment protected by anything other than their own lobby. Fishing boats, swimming, paddling, and sailing would be so much more enjoyable and civility on the waters would probably return if petroleum powered speed boats were forced off 90% of the public waters that in turn would be that much less polluted from petroleum products. Also if fuel is so limited, why splurge it on lake entertainment when there’s not enough fuel to get Americans to and from WORK?
It all comes back to more population than legitimately belongs in our country, and the problems illegal aliens bring with them, including contagious deadly diseases along with their horrible drug trade, not to mention their plague on our tax dollars while NAFTA pads the lifestyle of the Mexican aristocracy south of the border even as Mexican crops poison Americans certified organic by their *ss.
maverick muse on June 10, 2008 at 9:43 AM
I like Michael Savage’s solution. Force the Mexican government to provide the USA with free oil per illegal Mexican alien stateside. THAT requires irrefutable proof of citizenship or of residency status, CHERTOFF. And even the new US passports have been criticised, as Chertoff chose the most easy type to fraudulently duplicate. Don’t wonder why when he and Bush are so damn consistent.
maverick muse on June 10, 2008 at 9:48 AM
Why now? Why not keep a 100% record of failure to protect America’s borders.
Mojave Mark on June 10, 2008 at 9:49 AM
G-Dubs getting a (little) tough on border security? I thought he was for McCain’s plan?
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on June 10, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Mojave Mark
exactly, why now
Because he is leaving soon, and he OWED his conservative donors something, a hell of a lot more domestically than he accomplished for his RINO donors with all of the top heavy bureaucracy he has newly laden upon us with acts of citizen submission, particularly submitting to the very illegals the present show is meant to hide.
To conclude the balancing act for the record, GO BUSH for staying the course in Iraq, the most successful US war effort since WWII, despite the enemy homefront from the DNCMSM. And GO BUSH for preventing another 9-11 on your watch. I’m convinced that the Arab heads of state were covertly instructed that if another incident occured, that as President of the United States, Bush would leave no evidence that their capitals ever existed. Nothing like talking softly behind closed quarters while you own the big stick.
maverick muse on June 10, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Dr.Cwac.Cwac
Bush is for McCain as in giving McCain something to be against: not another Bush presidency campaign rhetoric.
maverick muse on June 10, 2008 at 10:02 AM
There should be a bounty when an employee turns in their employer that has Illegal aliens on the payroll.
The bounty could be say, $5000.00 per head and paid for by the fine imposed on said employer.
TheSitRep on June 10, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Too little, too late.
He could have done this years ago but pandered to the illegal alien community, the the Latino community of which I’m part, but the illegals.
madmonkphotog on June 10, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Its a national security issue, but then so is the rest of the country.
Speakup on June 10, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Seen this?
“The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments by business groups and Hispanic activists that only the federal government can regulate whether employers can hire people not in this country legally. More to the point, they contend only the federal government can mete out punishment.”
beatcanvas on June 10, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Truer words may have been the unspoken doctrine of the Bush Administration. And this is one “big stick” that McCain will insist be passed into his hands.
Rovin on June 10, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Seen this?
“Enemies foreign and domestic”
Johan Klaus on June 10, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Enforcing the law, what an interesting and novel concept.
GarandFan on June 10, 2008 at 11:11 AM
That’s an interesting point about the system’s inability to tell us about a perfect MATCH to a name, not just somebody’s valid number. The way I figure it, if we’ve got 300 million people in this country and, with the full spectrum of 9 digits used, essentially 1 billion possibilities for SSNs, then an illegal has a 30% chance of scoring. That’s way too high of a chance for my tastes.
Are their chances just 30%? What happens to the SSN of someone who dies? Is it still valid in this e-Verify system?
flutejpl on June 10, 2008 at 11:37 AM
GEE, let me see, JANUARY 2000 til JUNE 2008… That didn’t take long to figure out GEORGE!!! Now if we could just find some way to, let me see, OOOOH, what’s the word I’m looking for???? OOOOOH, YEEEAAAHHH, some way to SANCTION EMPLOYERS for hiring illegals… Than we just might have a leg up on the IMMIGRATION PROBLEM…
pueblo1032 on June 10, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Not all of them….janitorial services are often contracted (they are at my federal office) and that’s where you are probably most likely to find your illegals.
Alia on June 10, 2008 at 12:10 PM
No light bulbs. The close approach of an election always increases the amount of populist theater politicians will engage in.
snaggletoothie on June 10, 2008 at 1:32 PM
wait…you mean it’s OK for us to use laws and systems already on the books to stem the tide of ILLEGAL immigrants? Weird. Who knew?
/sarc
MannyT-vA on June 11, 2008 at 8:03 AM