Federal Contractors Face Mandatory E-Verify Checks Under New Bill

This proposed legislation amends the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act with a straightforward requirement: all businesses holding federal contracts, and even their subcontractors, must use the E-Verify system. Essentially, if a company wants to do business with the federal government, it will need to electronically confirm that every employee working on that contract is legally authorized to work in the U.S.

Plugging Into the System: What Changes for Contractors

For companies already using E-Verify, this might not change much. But for those new to the system, especially smaller businesses or subcontractors, it means adopting new hiring procedures. This involves integrating the E-Verify process – checking employee information against Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records – into their onboarding. This isn't just a suggestion; Section 1 of the bill makes participation mandatory for anyone receiving federal contract dollars. This could mean added administrative tasks, training staff on the system, and potentially dealing with verification delays or errors.

The Human Element: Potential Impacts on Workers

The goal here is clearly to ensure a legally authorized workforce on federal projects. However, the E-Verify system itself isn't perfect. While it works smoothly most of the time, documented issues include occasional errors or "tentative non-confirmations" that can temporarily sideline eligible workers, requiring them to resolve discrepancies. This could disproportionately affect foreign-born workers or anyone with name variations or complex immigration statuses, potentially leading to hiring delays or even wrongful denials if not handled correctly by the employer. While aiming for compliance, the mandate places the burden of accurate verification squarely on contractors, impacting both their operations and the hiring experience for potential employees.