Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) became an original cosponsor of H.R.2164, the Legal Workforce Act. This bill, introduced by House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) requires the use of E-Verify nationwide. It makes the E-Verify program permanent and reinstates a program to help identify illegal immigrants who are currently employed in the U.S.
"I support E-Verify and know that it can be an effective tool to combat illegal immigration. There are almost 7 million unemployed Americans who are primarily looking for jobs in manufacturing, service and construction, but can't find one. We currently have 6 million illegal immigrants in this country who are holding down these types of jobs. Instead of allowing more foreign workers to compete with Americans for jobs, we should be removing the incentives that bring more people here," said Royce.
E-Verify currently is a voluntary system that allows employers to validate new employees. Under E-Verify, employers check names and Social Security numbers to confirm employment eligibility. It helps employers ensure that they are hiring a legal workforce. Currently over 200,000 employers use this program.
H.R. 2164 implements mandatory work authorization verification over three years. It closes the existing loopholes in E-Verify to stop multiple people using the same Social Security number and it allows for better detection against people using stolen identities.
"This program helps ensure jobs are reserved for U.S. citizens and legal workers. It turns off the jobs magnet that draws illegal immigrants here to work illegitimately," Royce said.