A workplace who‘s who

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GLOBE EDITORIAL
A workplace who‘s who
May 8, 2006
LAST MONTH, US immigration agents swept through 26 states, including Massachusetts, looking for immigration violations in the various locations of IFCO Systems, a company that manufactures pallets and containers. Agents arrested seven current and former managers who could be sentenced to jail time. The raid uncovered 1,187 workers who were illegal aliens.
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It was a dramatic warning to employers not to violate the law by hiring undocumented immigrants. But it was also an exception. The federal government doesn‘t have the money or manpower to regularly police the nation‘s workplaces. If it is serious about enforcement, it needs other tools.
One solution is to build a fast, secure, electronic verification system that would confirm the immigration status of job candidates. Just as merchants do with credit cards, employers would swipe a Social Security card, driver‘s license, green card, or other document and get a response in a minute or less.
Such a system is technologically possible. And the country already has a voluntary, national verification pilot program that‘s run by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.
In its 2007 budget request, the department has requested $110 million to expand the pilot into a mandatory system. But it won‘t know the exact costs or timeline until Congress passes and the president signs immigration reform legislation that includes a detailed plan for expanding the pilot.
It would be good to expand as quickly as possible. But officials should take enough time to ensure that the system provides fast, fair, and scrupulously accurate responses.
Rigorous safeguards must be a priority. Protecting personal privacy is a major concern, since all job seekers -- not just immigrants -- would be asked to present a card. Eradicating errors is essential. Job seekers should have ready access to the database so they can easily spot and correct false information. Without these steps, innocent people could be denied the chance to work.
The database should be as limited as possible, only listing basic identifiers and immigration status. Adding more information would make it a target for hackers and identity thieves or for government surveillance officials who want to reach beyond the law to gather information.
Protection against discrimination is vital. Otherwise it‘s too tempting for employers to avoid even considering job candidates with accents, skin colors, or names that suggest they were born outside the United States.
A verification system cannot stand alone. It must be part of a comprehensive immigration reform package. But a reliable, secure system would be one way to help employers identify people who are legally eligible to work.
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