Senator to gov't: screen U.S. contractors for illegals

by Frank James

You may have heard of the E-Verify system the federal government wants employers to use to establish that workers are in the U.S. legally and thus eligible to work.

The Homeland Security Department is so serious about employers using it, it's suing Illinois because the state has thrown up a roadblock to keep employers in the state from using the system which, Illinois says, is flawed.

Given how determined the federal government is about employers using the Internet-based system, you would think the federal government would itself be uniformly relying on it to make sure the contractors it hires aren't using illegal workers. You would be wrong.

This irony hasn't escaped the attention of Sen. Charles Grassley who is calling on the federal goverment to practice what it preaches.

Grassley sent letters today asking the relevant officials to change this curious lack of urgency on the federal government's part to make comprehensive use of its own E-Verify system.

Here are letters he sent today to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Jean Manning, Chief Cousel for Employment in the Senate's Office of the Secretary:

November 19, 2007

The Honorable Michael Chertoff
Secretary
Department of Homeland Security
Washington D.C. 20528

Dear Secretary Chertoff:

It’s been three months since you announced a series of reforms to address border security and immigration challenges that our country faces. One of the 26 proposed reforms was to require federal contractors to use the basic pilot program, now known as E-Verify.

Specifically, you said that “the Administration will commence a rulemaking process to require all federal contractors and vendors to use E-Verify, the federal electronic employment verification system, to ensure that their employees are authorized to work in the United States.” I agreed then, and repeat now, your words that “the Federal government ought to lead by example.”

I find it astonishing that, as of July 25 of this year, only 400 or so federal entities are using the program, and of those, more than 95% are congressional offices. Of the hundreds of federal agencies in the Executive Branch, only 11 are using E-Verify. More astonishing is that only 5 of the 22 agencies under the Department of Homeland Security are leading by example by participating in the program.

I wrote to you on January 24th of this year about the same matter. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen any progress. I write today to ask about the status of the rulemaking for federal contractors and vendors, and demand that more progress be made with regard to agencies under the federal government. Not another day should go by without the federal government, and those we do business with, to lead by example and use the E-Verify system.

Like I said on August 10th, I want to see more than talk on immigration enforcement. I want to see this Administration follow through on the reforms they promised to the Congress and to the American people. It’s imperative that our agents be allowed to enforce the law and that our government do everything in its power to give them the resources, tools, and authority to do it.

I look forward to hearing from you about the increased participation of our federal agencies in E-verify, and the status of the rulemaking for contractors and vendors.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley
United States Senator

November 19, 2007

Ms. Jean Manning
Chief Counsel for Employment
Office of the Secretary
United States Senate
Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Ms. Manning:

In 1996, Congress passed an immigration law that authorized certain employers to use the basic pilot program, a web based system to help verify that new hires are eligible to work in the United States. Also included in this legislation was a mandate for Senate offices in certain states to use it. Since 1996, we have expanded the program and now require all offices within the Senate and House of Representative to use the basic pilot, now known as E-Verify.

In August of this year, Secretary Chertoff announced a series of reforms to address border security and immigration challenges that our country faces. One of the 26 proposed reforms was to require federal contractors to use the basic pilot program.

Specifically, Secretary Chertoff said that “the Administration will commence a rulemaking process to require all federal contractors and vendors to use E-Verify, the federal electronic employment verification system, to ensure that their employees are authorized to work in the United States.” I firmly believe that the Federal government ought to lead by example. This includes all Senate offices and those we do business with.

To ensure that the Senate is in full compliance with the law, I urge you to make sure that every office in the United States Senate participates in E-Verify. I further request that your office consider enacting rules for contractors and vendors of the Senate so that the Legislative Branch is setting a good example for employers across the country. The Senate has a responsibility to make sure that our immigration laws are being enforced and that undocumented and ineligible workers are not hired.

I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to hearing from you about the steps being taken to ensure compliance with the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley
United States Senator