White House FY 2018 Budget Blueprint Invests $15 Million for Mandatory Nationwide Use of E-Verify

Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has introduced the first budget submitted by President Donald Trump’s Administration – ‘America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again’ – that invests $15 million to begin implementation of mandatory nationwide use of the E-Verify Program as part of a $44.1 billion net discretionary budget for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

As stated, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget Blueprint: Invests $15 million to begin implementation of mandatory nationwide use of the E-Verify Program, an internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their new employees to work in the United States. This investment would strengthen the employment verification process and reduce unauthorized employment across the U.S.

The Budget Blueprint – which shows lawmakers and the public the priorities of President Trump – also increases the budget for immigration enforcement at the DHS and Department of Justice (DOJ), and includes resources for a wall on the southern border with Mexico, immigration judges, expanded detention capacity, U.S. Attorneys, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Border Patrol.

The FY 2018 Budget is being unveiled sequentially and the “Budget Blueprint” provides details only on discretionary funding proposals. The full Budget that will be released later in Spring 2017 will include specific mandatory and tax proposals, as well as a full fiscal path. The FY 2018 Budget Blueprint is available at www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/budget/fy2018/2018_blueprint.pdf.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) serves the President of the United States in overseeing the implementation of his vision across the Executive Branch. Specifically, OMB’s mission is to assist the President in meeting his policy, budget, management, and regulatory objectives and to fulfill the agency’s statutory responsibilities. For more information, visit www.whitehouse.gov/omb.

E-Verify is an Internet-based program run by the United States government that compares information from the Employment Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9) filled out by newly hired workers to data from U.S. government databases to check if those workers are legally eligible to work in the United States. Employer participation in E-Verify is voluntary unless mandated by federal or state/local law.

According to the “What is E-Verify?” web page from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (UCSIS) – the government agency that oversees lawful immigration to the United States – E-Verify is used by more than 600,000 employers at over 1.9 million hiring sites and joined by approximately 1,400 new participating companies every week. To learn more about E-Verify, visit www.uscis.gov/e-verify.

A 2016 Employment Verification (E-Verify) Survey from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) showed strong support for mandatory electronic verification systems as 83 percent of employers surveyed either strongly or somewhat supported E-Verify. These findings were consistent with 2006 and 2014 Employment Verification Survey findings from SHRM.

ESR Is A Designated E-Verify Employer Agent

Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) is a global background check firm that is accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®). ESR is also a Designated E-Verify Employer Agent that helps employers with Form I-9 and E-Verify compliance. For more information, read ESR News Blogs about E-Verify or visit the ESR website at www.esrcheck.com.

NOTE: Employment Screening Resources® (ESR) does not provide or offer legal services or legal advice of any kind or nature. Any information on this website is for educational purposes only.

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