Submitted by Anne Landman on
The Center for Media and Democracy has joined a coalition of privacy, consumer and civil rights organizations in signing onto comments from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) (pdf) opposing a proposal by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) to expand "E-Verify," a national internet-based employment verification system that lets employers check citizenship status and verify employment eligibility of people applying for jobs. DHS plans to integrate records from state motor vehicle agencies' systems and change the verification process to include validation of a driver's license, driver's permit or ID card from a state or local jurisdiction. Groups signing onto EPIC's comments say the DHS proposal to integrate driver's license information into Homeland Security's database is unlawful and is very similar to the REAL ID Act of 2005, which established new federal standards for state-issued driver's licenses and other ID cards. Some states have declined participate in the REAL ID Act. EPIC and other groups oppose provisions in the DHS proposal that would, for example, allow DHS to distribute E-Verify records to public and private parties, and disclose E-Verify data "to the news media and the public" with just a vague exception for any "particular case [that] would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
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Anonymous replied on Permalink
Apart from the fact that this
Apart from the fact that this serves to allow employers to confirm legal status for hiring - and, besides the distribution "to the news media and the public" clause, what are the implications for legal citizens? I mean, I understand this is no good for someone trying to get a job illegally, but why is this bad for me, as an American citizen? If someone is not legally here, and I am, I should get the job first. And they should not be allowed to work illegally. And the employer should not be able to wiggle out of their responsibility by claiming that they didn't know about it. If they had to use e-verify.
So other than this publicity clause, could someone writing about this be more specific in concrete/real life examples of possible repercussions for American citizens. Why it's bad for me.