Late last week, media outlets began to amplify a baseless claim by an attorney representing the illegal alien charged with first-degree murder in Mollie Tibbetts’ death.
According to the attorney, the Iowa dairy farm that employed Cristhian Bahena Rivera may have been confused by the E-Verify system.
Not only is this claim incorrect as it relates to Rivera’s employment, it perpetuates a fundamental falsehood about E-Verify – that the worksite verification system is somehow confusing or burdensome for employers.
First, the employer, Yarrabee Farms, did not use E-Verify, but rather the Social Security Administration’s Number Verification Service (SSNVS). Unlike E-Verify, SSNVS does not firm whether an employee is authorized to work in the United States, it only verifies whether an employer’s records match SSA’s records. In fact, it is illegal to use the service to verify SSNs of potential new hires. It can only be used for tax filing purposes once an official employer-employee relationship has been established.
Second, E-Verify isn’t confusing. The attorney is simply parroting the same tired talking points used by open borders interests who hate E-Verify for its effectiveness.
Employers actually like E-Verify because it’s easy, fast, and free to use. It also means that businesses are no longer required to become document experts. When an employer uses E-Verify, the liability of determining the legal status of an employee is placed on the government, not the employer. So if a mistake is made, the employer is off the hook – provided he was using E-Verify. And of course employees like it – if they’re legal – because they know it protects them from having to compete against those who have no legal right to be in the U.S.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) estimates that it takes an average of 12 minutes to learn about, complete, assemble, and file the E-Verify I-9 form. E-Verify returns initial verification information to the employer within 3 to 5 seconds. It would take an employer more time to make a cup of coffee than it would to verify a job applicant’s eligibility for work.
Confusing? I don’t think so.