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Idaho to screen for illegal immigrants

By Erica Curless
Staff writer
December 13, 2006

Gov. Jim Risch ordered state agencies Wednesday to stop hiring illegal aliens by using a federal Web site to verify that new employees are eligible to work in the U.S.

The outgoing Republican governor wants local governments and private businesses to also use the voluntary and free screening system as a way to crack down on undocumented immigrants who are taking jobs and benefits away from legal residents.

“Idahoans deserve to have their tax dollars spent on legal, United States citizens,” Risch said in announcing the executive order in Coeur d’Alene. “Jobs available in America and Idaho should be preserved for those who are legal.”

The order also requires vendors or companies that do contract work for the state to use the verification system. In addition, Risch wants the Department of Commerce and Labor and the Department of Health and Welfare to use the system to ensure that unemployment and welfare benefits aren’t going to illegal immigrants.

Idaho is the fifth state in the nation to use the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program. Colorado is the only other western state.

It’s unknown how many if any illegal immigrants work in Idaho’s 25,000 state jobs or for private business, Risch said.

“I’m not sure if there are any statistics available on that,” he said, adding that there likely are few illegal immigrants with state jobs.

Each employee cleared by the screening process will receive a verification number. The employer will keep that number to prove that their workers are legal.

Risch said the national statistic of illegal workers ranges between 7 million and 22 million. Jobs are the very reason why immigrants illegally come to the United States, he said.

Kootenai County Commissioner Rick Currie attended the Coeur d’Alene press conference and said the commission must vote on whether to use the SAVE system, but that he personally likes the idea.

“It’s just another level of safeguard,” he said, adding that so far the county hasn’t had a problem with undocumented workers applying for county jobs.

Yet he knows North Idaho isn’t immune to the problem.

“I can tell you if you go around to any ethnic restaurant, from what I understand, you are going to find a number of undocumented workers,” Currie said.

Coeur d’Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem said the city will use the Web site to help with verification.

“As far as I know we have not run into (any verification problems),” Bloem said.

The federal government already requires employers, both public and private, to verify that new hires are legal citizens or have the documents needed to work in the U.S.

The SAVE program goes one step farther to confirm eligibility. Now state agencies, cities and counties, in addition to private businesses, can ask a potential hire for their name, social security number and birth date. The government agency or private employer would enter the information into the federal Web site that accesses Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security databases.

Within six seconds, the Web site will verify if that person is eligible for employment, Risch said.

The system is a deterrent because Risch said it’s difficult for illegal immigrants to assume a new name that matches both an existing social security number and birth date.

In Los Angeles County, the extra layer of verification has nearly stopped illegal immigrants from applying for jobs, Risch said.

Employers, including state agencies, can only use the system for new hires, not current employees, Risch said. And it is only for workers an employer intends to hire, not all applicants.

The governor thinks most states will adopt the system by the end of 2007. He said he expects the federal government to make it mandatory for all employers, private and public, by 2008.

“I’d like to give you a high-five on this,” Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, told Risch after the press conference, also attended by four other North Idaho legislators.

Jorgenson expects lawmakers to introduce numerous bills in the 2007 legislative session that aim to deter illegal aliens. But he thinks Risch’s order solves a large part of the problem and may make some of the proposed laws unnecessary.

Jorgenson said he’d like to see the order expanded to include renters.

“We need to do something to control the flow of illegal immigrants,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, told reporters in Boise on Wednesday that cutting off illegal aliens from jobs was key to solving the country’s immigration problems. Craig has promoted a plan to allow some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the country to apply for citizenship, if they meet certain requirements.

“Our state needs a guest worker program. Our state needs foreign nationals in our work force. But we want them to be here legally,” Craig said. “The more America becomes less a safe haven for illegals to work, the easier our responsibilities become on the border.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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