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1. E-Verify Self Check launched
2. DHS considers credit agencies
3. RI bill would mandate E-Verify
4. CO bill penalizes cities
5. BP agent fatally shoots man

1.
ICE Launches Self-Verify
EFE, March 22, 2011

The U.S. government presented Monday E-Verify Self Check, an online service that will enable workers to check their own immigration status and correct any errors on their documents.

The service will be launched initially in Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, Mississippi, Virginia and the District of Columbia, and extended to 16 other states next year, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The authorities aim to make the Self Check service available nationwide in the future.

"E-Verify is a smart, simple, and effective tool that allows us to work with employers to help them maintain a legal workforce," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said. "The E-Verify Self Check service will help protect workers and streamline the E-Verify process for businesses."

Napolitano said that illegal immigration in the United States is chiefly a problem of supply and demand on the labor market, but that the U.S. government is committed to stopping undocumented immigrants from being hired.

E-Verify Self Check is a "voluntary, free, fast and secure service" that gives users the opportunity to submit corrections of any inaccuracies in their Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records before seeking employment, DHS said.

U.S. authorities have expanded E-Verify's capabilities with measures to prevent passport fraud, since it now compares photos on these documents with those in the State Department database.

In fiscal year 2009, E-Verify processed more than 8.7 million requests by employers to check the validity of immigration and Social Security documents.
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http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/03/22/ice-launches-self-v...

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2.
U.S. may strengthen identity verification system for workers
By Shankar Vedantam
The Washington Post, March 21, 2011

The federal government is exploring the possibility of using a credit rating giant like Equifax to verify the identity of American workers, a move that could make it far more difficult for undocumented immigrants to get work using stolen Social Security numbers.

The plan by the Department of Homeland Security, which is still preliminary and would probably require congressional approval, could have far-reaching consequences. The government already allows employers to check the legal status of employees using a system known as E-Verify, but hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants beat the system by using stolen Social Security numbers.

If workers had to use the verification systems in place to apply for a mortgage or a bank account, they would not only have to present a Social Security number to an employer, but also answer questions about their personal history and financial background to establish their identity.

On Monday, the government announced that it would begin allowing individuals in the District, Virginia and four other states to voluntarily use a system provided by Equifax to verify their identity. Once they did that, they could access a federal database to verify their authorization to work. The move will help the small number of legally authorized immigrants and U.S. citizens who encounter problems each year when an employer runs their Social Security numbers through the E-Verify system.

By giving workers the ability to check their records before they apply for a job, authorities said that citizens and immigrants who are authorized to work will be able to take care of spelling mistakes and other common errors. The voluntary program will be piloted in the District, Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Mississippi. It will be expanded nationwide in the coming months.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/us-may-strengthen-identity-verificat...

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3.
RI bill: Businesses would check immigration status
By David Klepper
The Boston Globe, March 22, 2011

Rhode Island businesses would stand on the front lines of efforts to crack down on illegal immigration under a legislative proposal to require employers to check the immigration status of every job applicant.

The measure is one of several proposals dealing with illegal immigration scheduled to go to a state Senate hearing Tuesday.

The bill would require businesses with at least three employees to verify the legal residency status of all new hires through the federal E-Verify system. The online database allows employers to check whether an applicant is a citizen or otherwise allowed to work in the U.S.

Under former Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri, the state used E-Verify to check the employment status of applicants for jobs with the state and its contractors. But Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, abolished that practice when he took office in January.

More than 2,500 Rhode Island businesses already use E-Verify. Supporters say mandating the use of the free federal database will discourage companies from hiring illegal workers. To help businesses make the transition, the requirement would be gradually phased in, with larger corporations starting to use E-Verify first.

"It's not unreasonable," said state Sen. Marc Cote, D-Woonsocket, one of several sponsors of the legislation. "We have people looking for work, and we have some employers who are taking advantage of people who can't legally work here."

Arizona and Mississippi have mandated E-Verify for most businesses. Other states require E-Verify for government and contractor hiring.
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http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2011/03/21/ri_bil...

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4.
House backs plan to punish cities that balk at jail checks for illegal immigrants
By Kyle Glazier
The Denver Post, March 22, 2011

The House gave initial approval Monday to a bill that would penalize Colorado communities that choose not to participate in a federal program targeting illegal immigrants.

House Bill 1140, sponsored by Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, won approval by voice vote after a spirited challenge from House Democrats.

The bill would withhold cigarette tax revenue from local governments that choose not to participate in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Secure Communities Initiative, and it would distribute that money to cities that participate. Secure Communities creates a national fingerprint database so that everyone booked into a jail is checked against ICE records.

Former Gov. Bill Ritter approved Colorado's participation in the program Jan. 4.

Although federal law currently requires participation in the initiative by 2013, Balmer said waivers will likely push that date back more than once. Balmer said cities such as Boulder, Basalt and Durango have indicated that they will not participate.

"This is one law I would like to see implemented in Colorado," Balmer said. "We need to give our communities and our citizens an incentive to participate."
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http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_17668894

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5.
Border Patrol agent fatally shoots man after authorities say he flees police in southern Ariz.
The Associated Press, March 22, 2011

A Border Patrol agent shot a man three times as he fled police in southeastern Arizona, killing him.

Several agencies involved in the shooting or investigation released few details, including whether the agent was put on leave.

The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office says Douglas police saw a suspicious vehicle speed away from them toward the Mexican border Monday afternoon.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carol Capas says Border Patrol agents were in the area when the vehicle made it to the border and “there were rocks thrown” at the agent.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/border-patrol-agent-fatally-shoots-man-aft...