The Iowa Senate has voted to require that every Iowa business use the federal government’s E-Verify system to check whether employees and job applicants are U.S. citizens or legal residents of the United States.
Senator Julian Garrett, a Republican from Indinanola, has tried to get this kind of a requirement passed for more than a decade.
“People are concerned about what’s going on around here at the border. That’s probably the number one issue. We hear about that all the time,” Garrett said. “…There’s not a lot we can do here in Iowa at the state level, but this is something we can do and I think it’ll make a difference.”
Business groups oppose the bill. They say the E-Verify system is flawed and sometimes isn’t even accessible.
“It’s not your day today business,” said Senator Tony Bisignano, a Democrat from Des Moines who oppoed the bill. “…This is the day that we make our strong, anti-immigrant statement…We’re looking for you and we’re going to penalize you and Caseys, we may run you out of the state of Iowa.”
Iowa employers could lose their business licenses and be shut down if they’re caught knowingly hiring people who aren’t eligible to work in the United States. The bill now goes to the House, where similar legislation has stalled in the past.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Nebraska and Missouri require businesses as well as government agencies to do an E-Verify system check for prospective employees. Minnesota requires it for some government contractors.
