House committee advances Legal Workforce Act

The House Judiciary Committee voted on Tuesday to advance the Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 1147). The bill, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), aims to preserve jobs for legal workers by mandating that all employers in the U.S. double-check the work eligibility of all future hires through E-Verify technology.

The E-Verify system was created in 1996. It is operated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The system checks the Social Security numbers of newly hired employees against Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security records, ensuring they are indeed citizens or legal immigrants who are eligible to work in the U.S. The system reportedly can confirm job applicants’ eligibility with nearly 100 percent certainty in a few minutes.

“The Legal Workforce Act turns off the jobs magnet that attracts so many illegal immigrants to the United States,” Smith said. “The bill expands the E-Verify system and applies it to all U.S. employers.”

“Equally important, the American people support E-Verify,” Smith said. “Polls show that from 71 percent to 85 percent of voters support Congress passing new legislation that strengthens the rules making it illegal for businesses in the U.S. to hire illegal immigrants. In fact, E-Verify receives the most public support of any proposed immigration reform. This bill is a common-sense approach that will reduce illegal immigration and save jobs for legal workers. It deserves the support of everyone who wants to put the interests of American workers first.”

 Several organizations representing many categories of U.S. businesses support the Legal Workforce Act, including Numbers USA, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Restaurant Association, the National Association of Homebuilders, the International Franchise Association, the National Federation of Independent Business and the Leading Builders of America.