RI lawmakers to vote on immigration proposal

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island lawmakers are deciding whether to require private companies to use the federal E-Verify database to check the immigration status of new hires.

House legislators plan to vote Tuesday on the bill filed by Rep. Jon Brien, D-Woonsocket, who said the legislation addresses a jobs issue.

But, workplace and immigration advocates said the bill would implement a flawed system, put financial pressure on small businesses and discriminate against minority candidates.

"In no uncertain terms, the purpose of the legislation is to ensure we have a legal work force on a going-forward basis," Brien said. "There's 10.5 percent unemployment in the state of Rhode Island. We want to ensure any and all jobs in the state are going to those that are work-eligible."

Because the bill has been approved in the House each of the last two years, Brien said he expects it to pass again. In the past, the measure has died in the Senate.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 12 states require some form of E-Verify. Gov. Don Carcieri signed an executive order in March 2008 that forces the state to verify the immigration status of new government workers, as well as employees of any company that does business with the state. When he signed the order, the governor said studies estimated 20,000 to 40,000 illegal immigrants were in Rhode Island and he blamed them for straining state services.

The order also requires state police and prison officials to identify immigration violators in state custody and report them to federal authorities for possible deportation.

Jenny Rosario, who resigned from the governor's Commission on Hispanic Affairs in protest of the order, said the legislation plays into anti-immigration sentiment and would burden companies with the cost of implementing the system.

"How can they expect the small businesses to get involved in an investment like that if the economy's so bad in Rhode Island? I really believe that they have an ulterior motive." Rosario said. "I hope the Legislature looks at the facts rather than emotions."

Rachel Miller, director of Rhode Island Jobs with Justice, said errors create much of the cost of the program — the database itself is free — since current employees have to spend time resolving non-confirmation for certain new hires, with a greater burden for companies with small human resources departments.

Miller cited statistics from the Social Security Administration that as many as 3.6 million workers could be misidentified through E-Verify.

Under Brien's bill, the state Department of Labor and Training would refer noncompliance cases to federal immigration authorities to determine penalties. The measure includes all Rhode Island employers with three or more workers.

Mandating E-Verify for every employer is a source of concern for the business community. Bethany Costello, spokeswoman for the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, said the error rate and federal criteria for the database make it more complicated than proponents suggest.

"We don't want to put barriers on hiring, especially in this current economic climate," Costello said. "We don't want to make it more difficult for businesses to grow in Rhode Island."

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