Monday, March 1, 2010

FAIRUS.org - ILLEGALS & IDENTITY FRAUD - And You Thought They Weren't Voting?

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Illegal Aliens Committing Identity Fraud, Theft to Sneak Past E-Verify

A recently released report has revealed that illegal aliens are using fraudulent methods to obtain employment with employers who are enrolled in E-Verify – the online, electronically operated system that allows employers to confirm that their new hires have established their authorization to work in the United States. The report was conducted by Westat, a Maryland-based social science research firm under contract with the federal government. According to Westat, approximately half of illegal aliens run through E-Verify are inaccurately found to be work authorized, primarily due to identity theft. (Report, December 2009).
The Westat report identified four ways that illegal aliens can obtain employment despite being screened through E-Verify: (1) obtaining valid identification documents by using fraudulent “breeder” documents; (2) using altered or counterfeit documents; (3) buying, borrowing, or stealing valid documents; and (4) looking for alternative employment where employers (a) do not check documents or (b) will provide employees with fraudulent documents containing information for workers with employment authorization. (Report, December 2009). However, the federal agency tasked with administering E-Verify – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – is already taking numerous steps in order to fight identity fraud and theft.
The most notable of these steps is expanding the E-Verify “Photo Tool.” The Photo Tool, which was launched by the Bush Administration in September 2007, allows employers to view photographs of workers presenting green cards and employment authorization documents. (USCIS News Release, September 25, 2007). By matching a photograph in the E-Verify program with the identification a worker presents, an employer can confirm that the document has not been altered. In Fiscal Year 2010, USCIS is adding U.S. passport photographs to the Photo Tool and is working to add visa photographs. USCIS also notes that it is “close to announcing a pilot agreement with a state to add its driver’s license data, which could be a first step before adding its driver’s license photographs.”
• Other important actions USCIS is taking to fight identity fraud and theft include:
• Expanding the number of behaviors that USCIS monitors for misuse of E-Verify;
• Increasing the amount of compliance assistance that USCIS provides to employers enrolled in E-Verify;
• Creating mechanisms for locking Social Security Numbers (SSNs) detected in possible identity fraud; and
• Deploying a self-check function to allow individuals to check their E-Verify response before they are hired, which could also allow individuals to lock and unlock their SSNs for E-Verify responses. (USCIS Synopsis, January 28, 2010).
While acknowledging that some illegal aliens are successfully gaming the system, the Westat report still resoundingly endorses the E-Verify program. It indicates that E-Verify has properly denied employment to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. (Report, December 2009). In addition, USCIS points out that it’s likely that the program “deters many unauthorized workers from even applying for jobs with participating employers.” (USCIS Synopsis, January 28, 2010). The report indicates that 96 percent of all E-Verify initial responses were consistent with the person’s work authorization status. With respect to work authorized individuals, over 99 percent were initially confirmed through E-Verify. In addition, 95.2 percent of employers participating in E-Verify reported that they were satisfied with the program overall. Finally, the report notes that E-Verify reduces discrimination against foreign-born workers in the hiring process and that USCIS has taken steps to strengthen protections for workers’ privacy and civil rights. (Report, December 2009).
Despite these facts, well-known amnesty proponent Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) blasted E-Verify, calling the report “a wake-up call to anyone who thinks E-Verify is an effective remedy to stop the hiring of illegal immigrants.” (The Associated Press, February 25, 2010). However, USCIS describes E-Verify as the “best available tool to help employers determine whether their employees are authorized to work in the United States.” (USCIS Synopsis, January 28, 2010). And as Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies points out, “in the old, paper-based system, 100 percent of illegal aliens are approved.” The fact that E-Verify has properly prevented hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens from obtaining employment in the United States, Krikorian observes, “is real progress.” (The Corner, February 25, 2010).

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