Rep. Heath Shuler has again introduced the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement Act to combat the costly dilemma of illegal immigration.
It happens to be a reasonable and needed start at the bigger issue of immigration reform. Because President Obama and Congress are unlikely to achieve anything bigger, Congress should pass Shuler’s bill.
The bill would require employers to verify citizenship status through a national database, increase border patrol agents and add immigration judges and detention facilities.
Law-abiding citizens and legal immigrants have nothing to fear from a national database, called E-Verify, but illegal immigrants do. Illegal immigration costs the federal government as well as state and local governments billions of dollars each year.
There are some concerns over errors with the database. But it’s working fine for some — more than 100,000 employers voluntarily use E-Verify.
It’s time to move forward and get the ball rolling.
