E-Verify: Ensuring Lawful Employment in America

Title

E-Verify and the impact of illegal employment on wages

Purpose

The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held this hearing on E-Verify and lawful employment enforcement, with testimony from immigration policy, labor law, construction, and development witnesses. The available transcript captures only a brief excerpt of Q&A in which a committee member rebuts an earlier witness statement on wage effects of illegal employment. Begins at▶ 0:00:00

Who spoke

• A committee member▶ 0:00:00: Argued that illegal immigrants undercut American wages because they must work off the books, meaning taxes go unpaid and benefits are not provided▶ 0:00:00; disputed a point made by "Miss Han" (likely witness Jessie Hahn), saying this dynamic pushes legal workers into off-the-books employment as well, citing construction-industry constituents who say they cannot compete for contracts while following the rules▶ 0:00:15▶ 0:00:36.

Key moments

• The speaker stated illegal immigrants "cannot work on the books," which forces off-the-books work and results in unpaid taxes and benefits▶ 0:00:00.

• The speaker said this dynamic pressures companies to also hire legal workers off the books in order to remain competitive against illegal labor▶ 0:00:15.

• Construction-business constituents were quoted asking, "How can I possibly compete for contracts following the rules when I have to compete with those who do not?"▶ 0:00:36.