This bill permanently reauthorizes and mandates the use of the E-Verify system for all employers nationwide, aiming to enhance employer accountability for verifying employee work authorization and strengthen immigration enforcement by significantly increasing penalties for non-compliance. The legislation requires all federal departments, agencies, and contractors to use E-Verify immediately, with "critical employers" designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security also mandated to participate within 30 days. Within one year of enactment, all employers in the United States will be required to use E-Verify for new hires and for all existing employees not previously verified. Failure to participate in E-Verify will be treated as a violation of hiring unauthorized aliens, leading to substantially increased civil penalties. For instance, first-offense fines for hiring violations will rise from $250-$2,000 to $2,500-$5,000 . Repeat violators or those convicted of related crimes face debarment from federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, while criminal penalties for pattern or practice violations include fines up to $30,000 per alien and imprisonment. The bill preempts state or local governments from prohibiting E-Verify use and protects employers from liability for employment actions taken in good faith reliance on E-Verify information. E-Verify's capabilities are expanded to allow pre-hiring verification with consent and mandates reverification of work authorization for employees with expiring documents. Employers receiving a final non-confirmation must immediately terminate the individual and report to DHS, with continued employment creating a rebuttable presumption of violation. To improve enforcement, the bill mandates a program for information sharing between federal agencies to identify unauthorized aliens, including through "no-match" letters. The E-Verify system will be redesigned for enhanced reliability, privacy, and security, incorporating advanced algorithms to detect identity theft and misuse. An Employer Compliance Inspection Center is established within ICE to centralize worksite enforcement audits and proactively investigate related crimes like Social Security and tax fraud.
Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Immigration
Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act
USA119th CongressS-1151| Senate
| Updated: 3/26/2025
This bill permanently reauthorizes and mandates the use of the E-Verify system for all employers nationwide, aiming to enhance employer accountability for verifying employee work authorization and strengthen immigration enforcement by significantly increasing penalties for non-compliance. The legislation requires all federal departments, agencies, and contractors to use E-Verify immediately, with "critical employers" designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security also mandated to participate within 30 days. Within one year of enactment, all employers in the United States will be required to use E-Verify for new hires and for all existing employees not previously verified. Failure to participate in E-Verify will be treated as a violation of hiring unauthorized aliens, leading to substantially increased civil penalties. For instance, first-offense fines for hiring violations will rise from $250-$2,000 to $2,500-$5,000 . Repeat violators or those convicted of related crimes face debarment from federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, while criminal penalties for pattern or practice violations include fines up to $30,000 per alien and imprisonment. The bill preempts state or local governments from prohibiting E-Verify use and protects employers from liability for employment actions taken in good faith reliance on E-Verify information. E-Verify's capabilities are expanded to allow pre-hiring verification with consent and mandates reverification of work authorization for employees with expiring documents. Employers receiving a final non-confirmation must immediately terminate the individual and report to DHS, with continued employment creating a rebuttable presumption of violation. To improve enforcement, the bill mandates a program for information sharing between federal agencies to identify unauthorized aliens, including through "no-match" letters. The E-Verify system will be redesigned for enhanced reliability, privacy, and security, incorporating advanced algorithms to detect identity theft and misuse. An Employer Compliance Inspection Center is established within ICE to centralize worksite enforcement audits and proactively investigate related crimes like Social Security and tax fraud.