Romney Introduces Bill To Make E-Verify System Permanent

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has introduced a bill to make the E-Verify system a permanent tool to help reduce illegal immigration.

In a statement last week, the 2012 GOP presidential candidate decried the 144,000 apprehensions last month of illegal immigrants at the southern border, calling it the highest monthly amount in more than 13 years.

His bill would remove a termination provision in the current E-Verify program that requires Congress to repeatedly act to extend it.

E-Verify is an electronic verification system operated by the federal government that allows employers to check the legal status of the employees they hire. 

Critics like Ron Paul see E-Verify as another burdensome and costly regulation on employers, as well as being a risk for identity theft.

The E-Verify system is set to expire Sept. 30.

Romney is urging passage of his bill to make E-Verify permanent “and continue working on long term fixes to secure our border, update our asylum and trafficking laws, and institute mandatory E-Verify nationwide.”

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