SPECIAL ALERT: IMMIGRATION-RELATED AMENDMENTS ADDED TO FY10 HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS BILL WHICH PASSED IN THE SENATE ON JULY 9, 2009
SPECIAL ALERT: IMMIGRATION-RELATED AMENDMENTS ADDED TO FY10 HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS BILL WHICH PASSED IN THE SENATE ON JULY 9, 2009
I wanted to bring to your attention certain immigration-related amendments that made their way into the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that passed in the Senate on July 9, 2009:
1) An amendment sponsored by Senator Sessions (R-AL), which would permanently reauthorize the E-Verify employment verification program and require that it be used by federal contractors and subcontractors. The same amendment also permanently reauthorizes the EB-5 program for immigrant investors.
2) An amendment sponsored by Senator Vitter (R-LA), which would undo the recent decision to rescind the Bush Administration rule regarding SSA No-Match letters. Essentially, the law will require employers to fire workers, including U.S. citizens, who are unable to resolve discrepancies in their Social Security records within 90 days of receipt of a no-match letter.
3) An amendment sponsored by Senator Grassley (R-IA), which would allow employers who use E-verify to check the employment eligibility of current employees, not just newly hired employees.
Differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill will now need to be reconciled in a conference of leaders from both chambers.
These amendments come on the heels of the Obama Administration’s notice to 652 businesses that they are the target of I-9 audits.
Based on these developments, it is clear that employers need to be more pro-active than ever in the area of I-9 compliance. Stay tuned for more on this issue in future postings.
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