In August, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a sweeping immigration initiative that places increased responsibility on the employer for the improper use of Social Security numbers and greatly expands electronic employment verification. Important worksite enforcement provisions include: 1) "No Match" Regulation - In cases in which an employer has a significant number of employees with inaccurate personal identity information, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will send the employer a "No-Match" letter. Employers have 90 days to resolve discrepancies between the Social Security number given by an employee and government records. This regulation took effect in early September. 2) Increased Employer Penalties - Fines against employers for violating immigration laws will be raised about 25%. Currently, the maximum fine is USD10,000 per violation. The government will also step up criminal prosecutions against employers. In fiscal year 1999, the government filed criminal charges against only 24 employers; already in fiscal year 2007, DHS has filed more than 742 criminal cases. 3) Reduction in Official Documentation - In the next few months, the department will reduce the number of legal documents used to confirm identification and work eligibility. Currently, 29 types of documents can be used to verify eligibility, which makes it hard for employers to judge their authenticity. 4) New E-Verify Requirements - DHS also plans to require all 200,000 federal contractors to use an electronic employment verification system ("E-Ver-ify" formerly called "Basic Pilot") to make sure their employees are authorized to work in the United States. This requirement will have to go through the regulatory process before its official implementation.
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