[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 5, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2-E3]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAVID DREIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 5, 2011

  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, the roots of our broken immigration and 
employer verification system can be traced to three underlying factors: 
too many unreliable documents, including the Social Security card; a 
faulty employment verification system; and lax enforcement. The 
cornerstone of any immigration and border security reform plan must 
include an effective employment verification system and enhanced 
enforcement of our immigration laws. My bill, H.R. 98, the Illegal 
Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act, provides a 
strong foundation on which to build upon.
  The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act created the I-9 system 
for employers to verify the work authorization status of prospective 
employees. Currently, there are 26 documents that individuals can use 
in 102 different combinations to establish work authorization status in 
the U.S. While well intentioned, this

[[Page E3]]

program forces employers to be identification experts while allowing 
unscrupulous employers to hire illegal immigrants.
  The 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act 
sought to improve reliability of the I-9 system by creating the Basic 
Pilot Program, now known as E-Verify, which allows employers, on a 
voluntary basis, to use an online system to verify the work 
authorization status of new employees by checking validity of the 
Social Security numbers with the Social Security Administration. The 
implementation of this program has been a step in the right direction. 
However, several studies have found that the E-Verify program is unable 
to detect identity fraud, allowing those with valid, but stolen 
documents, to secure employment.
  H.R. 98 builds on the E-Verify program by creating an easy to use 
electronic verification system based on a secure, tamper-proof Social 
Security card, which employers can use to electronically verify the 
work authorization status of prospective employees. The new card 
includes a digitized photo of the cardholder, as well as an encrypted 
electronic signature strip, allowing employers to instantaneously 
verify a prospective employee's work authorization status with the 
Department of Homeland Security's Employment Eligibility Database, 
either through a toll-free number or electronic card-reader.
  H.R. 98 also increases penalties for employers who hire illegal 
immigrants or fail to verify their employment eligibility by increasing 
fines to $50,000 from $2,000, applying jail sentences of up to 5 years 
per offense, and requiring the employer to pay for deportation. In 
addition, the bill adds 10,000 new DHS personnel whose sole 
responsibility will be to enforce employer compliance and prosecute 
those who illegally employ illegal immigrants.
  Mr. Speaker, with newly improved document standards, employers will 
have a much higher degree of confidence in their hiring decisions. This 
will help to prevent the hiring of unauthorized workers and stop 
illegal immigration.

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