Comments on: DHS: ‘We’re going after employers now’

By: L

Tue, 19 May 2009 19:40:14 +0000

We do have a statement on our application that does say “We verify every new employee’s identity with the Social Security Administration” even with this in both English and Spanish on the application it still don’t send those with phony ID’s elsewhere. We also e-verify on line. In my type of buiness when we need to hire we need them right then and there and we mass hire all at once. there still got to be a better way. I know of a business that had all their ducks in a row and it went to court and they lost

By: D

Tue, 19 May 2009 19:04:30 +0000

The easiest way to avoid discrimination complaints and keep out of trouble with the ICE is to verify ALL new hires’ information with the Social Security Administration. Not every person with an assumed identity is an illegal alien; not every illegal is a minority. Keeping that in mind helps you avoid issues of profiling. It’s a simple phone call to SSA to check name and number, or at least it used to be (I retired a couple of years ago). There may even be a website now. Adding a statement to your Employment Application that says something like “We verify every new employee’s identity with the Social Security Administration” will likely send those with phony IDs elsewhere, and prevent you having to waste your time and resources screening and hiring people you can’t keep. And having that verification as part of your written procedures helps immensely if the ICE should ever come knocking.

By: K

Tue, 19 May 2009 14:19:05 +0000

Make sure that “dicumentation” is in order! What is “dicumentation”?

By: B

Tue, 19 May 2009 13:24:17 +0000

I think the key words in the article are “employers who knowingly hire illegal workers”. That is the reason we use the I-9 form, to verify identity and work eligibility.

I enjoy the discussions that follow these articles, but wonder why there is a need to turn these forums into political debates?

By: Joyce

Joyce — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:57:22 +0000

Thanks, Linda. Your information is understandable and clear.
If Janet Napolitano keeps up the good work??????together with “never employed anyone in my life” Obama, they will get rid of ALL the “evil” businesses. Then they better hope they can find John Gott to get this nation back on track. And get Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich to Drill Baby Drill to get us out of debt and save the Good Ole USA for our kids and grandkids.

By: SE

SE — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:21:46 +0000

Linda

You can verify an I-9 before you allow a new hire to actually start working. Once you offer someone a job you can verify their documents right then and there. Have them complete the I-9 form and review the documents. If the documents don’t match up or something is wrong you don’t have to let them start working until it gets all straightened out. Nine times out of ten you never see them again and have saved yourself a lot of paperwork and headache. The key is you have to either verbally or in writing offer them the position before asking for documents.

By: Andy

Andy — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:56:23 +0000

This is the same as the police saying, “we will no longer go after the robber, we are going after those that buy the stolen mechandise.” I agree that employers that KNOWINGLY hire illegal workers should be prosecuted and given stiff penilities. However, to ignore the border and only target the employers is stupid.

By: adeal

adeal — Mon, 18 May 2009 17:12:24 +0000

Linda,

I think the problem with verifying the I-9 prior to employment is that the information provided can be used to discriminate during the hiring process. You have birthdates, nationality, race, etc. Personal information should not be used to determine if a candidate will be hired, but unfortunately it still is, that is why the I-9 is verified after hire.

By: Lili

Lili — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:47:11 +0000

I agree with Linda.

By: Linda

Linda — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:04:45 +0000

I think that the I-9 should be verified before you hire an employee not after. This way you don’t hire them in the first place if the information does not match.