Findings of the Machine-Readable Document Pilot (MRDP) Program Evaluation

摘要

This report summarizes the findings of the evaluation of the Machine-Readable Document Pilot (MRDP) program, the third of three pilot programs mandated by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA). These pilot programs were developed to test alternative types of electronic verification systems before considering the desirability and nature of any larger scale employment verification programs. The MRDP is distinct from the other two IIRIRA pilots because it is the only pilot program in which employers use a machine to read information contained in the magnetic stripe on State-issued identification documents and then automatically transmit that information for matching to the Social Security Administration (SSA) database. Like the Citizen Attestation Verification Pilot (CAVP), the MRDP limits State participation to States having drivers licenses that meet specific requirements. In most other respects, the MRDP follows the rules of the Basic Pilot program, the first of the three IIRIRA programs implemented. Both the MRDP and the Basic Pilot programs include verification checks to determine whether newly hired employees are authorized to work in the United States. Both programs also verify work authorization first with SSA and, if necessary, with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Since this evaluation was completed, INS has been reorganized into several bureaus within the Department of Homeland Security.