Legislation has been introduced to expand the use of the federal e-verify system which assists employers in assuring that their workers are not unauthorized immigrants and therefore working illegally in the U.S. The E-Verify system is maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and informs employers if a current or prospective employee has legal authorization to work in the country in coordination with I-9 documents. According to DHS, the system gave 42.4 million people the green light to work in 2025 and rejected 945,340 people.
E-Verify consistently faces pushback from unions and some business owners who say companies survive on immigrant labor, and paperwork would become burdensome. Other employers welcome e-verify as a toll giving some assurance that potential workers are eligible to be hired. Politicians have argued that an expansion is needed to prevent further cases of unauthorized non-US citizens from the work force.
The proposed legislation, introduced int the House, would expand the E-Verify system to all federal contractors. It currently sits in the House Judiciary Committee. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IW) introduced a similar version in the Senate.
“E-Verify is a proven tool for employers, including myself, to ensure our businesses are legally staffed,” Grassley said in a March 2025 release.
Not all states require employers to participate in the E-Verify system to confirm a person’s eligibility to work in the U.S. Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia do not have requirements for employers to use the electronic system. The system is not used in place of the I-9 eligibility form, but in coordination with it. DHS requires all new employees, regardless of business size or type, to complete an I-9 form on their first day of employment.