Public Description:
H.R. 1772, the Legal Workforce Act, would mandate E-Verify for all employers within 2 years, which would effectively end the jobs magnet for illegal immigration. Employers are required to participate in the system in phases, based primarily upon amount of employees, with employers of 10,000 or more required to use the system within 6 months, while In addition to mandating the program which would check the work authorization of all new hires and those recruited or referred, employers are given the ability to run current employees through the system, provided that they screen all other employees in the same geographic region or job category. Current employees and contractors in the Federal, State, & local sector, those who work in critical infrastructure, and individuals whose social security numbers have been flagged for multiple uses will be required to be processed through E-Verify. The Legal Workforce Act contains new measures to prevent fraud and misuse of the system, including the use of a photo matching tool, as well as enhanced penalties for violations. Civil penalties are significantly increased, ranging from $2,500 per unauthorized alien worker to $25,000, based on the severity and number of previous offenses. Criminal penalties for pattern or practice violators are also increased, with up to a $5,000 fine and/or 2 ½ years in prison.
