Broad Coalition Supports E-Verify

Broad Coalition Supports E-Verify

Washington, D.C. – A broad coalition of groups support the Legal Workforce Act, a bill sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) that could open up millions of jobs for unemployed Americans by requiring all U.S. employers to use E-Verify. 

Although E-Verify is not mandatory, nearly 290,000 businesses voluntarily use the program and another 1,300 new businesses sign up each week.  E-Verify quickly identifies individuals working illegally in the United States and protects jobs for legal workers by checking the Social Security numbers of new hires.  It’s free, quick, and easy to use—individuals eligible to work are immediately confirmed 99.5% of the time.

Below are excerpts from letters and statements of support.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “The Chamber commends Chairman Smith for introducing a new E-Verify bill that … establishes a fully electronic employment verification obligation with a clear safe harbor for employers that act in good faith … This legislation represents a legitimate balancing of many competing interests.”

National Restaurant Association: “The National Restaurant Association supports the Legal Workforce Act, as introduced, as an excellent balance of many competing interests.  The National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant and food service industry. Our industry is the nation’s second-largest private-sector employer comprised of 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets employing 12.8 million people—nine percent of the U.S. workforces … Many of our members are early adopters of E-Verify. Together, we agree in the need for certainty with regard to the responsibilities employers have under employment verification laws.”

Dunkin’ Brands, Inc: “The Legal Workforce Act protects employers who rely in good faith on the information provided by the E-Verify Program.  For small and medium-sized business owners such as our franchisees and employers across the country, the importance of these protections cannot be overstated … Dunkin’ Brands supports the Legal Workforce Act’s approach to cover all employers.  The E-Verify program should apply to all employers without exception.”

American Meat Institute: “The American Meat Institute applauds Chairman Smith’s efforts to improve the electronic employment verification system through the introduction of … the Legal Workforce Act.  This legislation is a critical first step in providing a practical and functional worksite electronic employment verification system that is vital to achieving a stable, legal workforce.” 

Associated General Contractors of America: “The Associated General Contractors of America has long advocated for immigration reform that strengthens national security and functions efficiently and fairly, while also addressing future workforce needs. [The Legal Workforce Act] is a balanced approach to one part of this complex problem.”

American Council on International Personnel: “Thank you for introducing the Legal Workforce Act, legislation that would rightly create one, federal electronic employment eligibility system … We also applaud the legislation for embracing the latest technology to make the E-Verify system uniform for all employers and for including a biometric pilot program, which we believe is a necessary component to ensuring the accuracy and reliability of any employment verification system.”

Below is a list of groups who have written in support the Legal Workforce Act:
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
American Council on International Personnel
American Hotel and Lodging Association
American Meat Institute
American Staffing Association
Associated General Contractors of America
Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado
Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.
Federation of Employers and Workers of America
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
ImmigrationWorks USA
International Franchise Association
National Association of Home Builders
National Council of Chain Restaurants
National Restaurant Association
National Roofing Contractors Association
NumbersUSA
Tree Care Industry Association 
Society for Human Resource Management

On Thursday at 9:30 a.m., the House Judiciary Committee will markup H.R. 2885, the Legal Workforce Act.