Smith Applauds E-Verify Expansion

Smith Applauds E-Verify Expansion

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today praised the decision to expand the E-Verify Self-Check system to 16 additional states across the nation. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the program is now available for residents of California, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Chairman Smith: “It is good for American workers that E-Verify continues to be expanded and improved.  The administration today announced that 16 additional states now have access to E-Verify’s self-check system, which allows individuals to check their work eligibility prior to being hired. 

“But more should be done to encourage the use of E-Verify by American employers and employees.  Twenty-four million Americans are currently unemployed or underemployed.  Meanwhile, seven million illegal workers hold jobs in the U.S. We could open up millions of jobs for citizens and legal immigrants if we simply enforced worksite immigration laws. 

“That’s why I’ve introduced the Legal Workforce Act, to require all U.S. employers to use E-Verify to check whether prospective employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S.  This program is free, quick and easy to use – persons eligible to work are immediately confirmed 99.5% of the time.  This bill is one of the most significant steps we can take to put millions of Americans back to work and curb incentives that drive illegal immigration.”