Legislators in California to Ban E Verify Screening

California, one of the nation’s most populated states has passed a law to prevent private businesses and state and local governments from screening employees immigration status.

The law which has been forwarded to the Governor will prevent state and local government as well as private employers from using the national online data base known as E Verify which gives the immigration status of persons. All cities in the state already using it will have to stop using it with immediate effect.

This move has come as a surprise at time when other states are making the use of E verify screening mandatory and especially in a state like California which has a very high unemployment rate. It also has the largest concentration of illegal immigrants in the country as well as going through a severe financial crisis. Despite these factors Governor Jerry Brown is expected to sign the law which is known as the Employment Acceleration Act.

The new law will conflict with a bill known as the Legal Workforce Act which is pending in the US house which requires all employers to use E Verify to screen their employees, which will provide more employment opportunities to Americans and legal immigrants.