The Key To Effective Immigration Reform

Did you know . . .

“In the states, immigration-related bills have mushroomed. In 2006, more than 570 pieces of legislation were introduced in state legislatures around the country. At least 84 bills were enacted, more than double the number enacted in 2005.”

          National Conference of State Legislatures LEGISBRIEF (February 2007)

• Many new state and local laws address employment verification, which is a key tool for preventing unauthorized employment – a root cause of illegal immigration. However, the growing patchwork of uncoordinated state employment verification rules and regulations are impacting the ability of U.S. employers to maintain consistent hiring policies, while undermining the development of a coherent national policy.

• It is simply not possible for employers to comply with 50 different sets of state requirements that inevitably conflict with the already complex federal employee verification process. This is especially true for multi-state employers where uniform procedures are a critical feature in ensuring our ability to serve the needs of our workforces in a lawful and efficient manner.

• The problems with the current employment verification system are well documented and the HR Initiative for a Legal Workforce supports the development of an efficient and reliable federal electronic verification system.

• The HR Initiative urges Congress to establish clear federal statutory language preempting states from imposing employment eligibility verification provisions.  The current profusion of state mandates is confusing and costly for employers and undermines the goal of an effective national system.

Preventing Unauthorized Employment is the Key to Effective Immigration Reform

The Human Resource Initiative for a Legal Workforce (www.legal-workforce.org) represents human resource professionals in thousands of small and large U.S. employers representing every sector of the American economy. The HR Initiative and its members are seeking to improve the current process of employment verification by creating a secure, efficient and reliable system that will ensure a legal workforce and help prevent unauthorized employment, a root cause of illegal immigration.