In Targeting Undocumented Workers, Some Legislators Want Employers To Do More

Legislators in several states are looking to crack down on illegal immigration in one of the few ways they can: by requiring businesses to more thoroughly verify that applicants are authorized to work in the U.S. Amid President Donald Trump’s calls to build a wall along the Mexican border and to suspend immigration from seven majority-Muslim nations, the legislators see an opportunity for states to do their part. They want to require businesses, or at least those that contract with state or local government, to run potential hires through the federal E-Verify system, an internet portal that checks whether people are authorized to work in the U.S. or are using fake documents to apply for jobs.