Electronic Dragnet for Undocumented Nets Citizens

Two hours after starting his new job at a food processing plant in 2006, Fernando Tinoco got fired. "I went to work, felt really good to have a new job and started going to it," says Tinoco, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who lives in Chicago. "And then they called me into the office and told me that my Social Security number was fake," he adds, "And then they fired me." Apparently, Tyson Foods Inc., Tinoco's former employer, was one of the more than 52,000 companies voluntarily participating in "E-Verify", a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program designed to identify undocumented workers by electronically verifying their employment eligibility. After the Kafkaesque experience of being hired, fired and trying to maneuver through the famously overstretched bureaucracy of the Social Security Administration to re-confirm status, Citizen Tinoco has become an outspoken critic of U.S. immigration laws' impact on citizens. "I think that citizens need to be as careful of these new immigration laws," says Tinoco, who now works at a school, adding, "they can ruin our lives too." Tinoco found his concerns echoed by Jim Harper of the conservative Cato Institute, who recently wrote that "If E-Verify goes national, get used to hearing that Orwellian term: 'non-confirmation.'"

That is why E-Verify is opposed by an unlikely alliance that includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, major unions, Republican legislators and others. But it is only one of a growing number of legislative and administrative immigration control initiatives that Tinoco and many critics believe will negatively impact not just non-citizens, but citizens as well. This week, for example, Congress is considering the Secure America through Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act, which includes provisions that mandate a national verification system like that of the more voluntary state programs like E-Verify. Also causing intense fear is last week's announcement by the Bush administration of revisions to its "No Match letter" plan, which requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to send out 140,000 letters demanding that employers fire workers whose Social Security numbers did not match those in their records. Advocates are concerned that, like the E-Verify program and SAVE Act, the new No Match regulations will affect other U.S. citizens and authorized workers thanks to the same kind of faulty record keeping that led to Tinoco's firing.

"By viewing these initiatives through the narrow lens of 'immigration policy' sold to us by politicians many fail to see that many of these programs will have direct impacts on many citizens," says Michele Waslin, senior research analyst with the Immigration Policy Center. To support their claims, Waslin and other critics point to several reports like one by the SSA's Office of Inspector General that found that there are 17.8 million discrepancies in the SSA's records relating to lawful American workers. The report also found that 70 percent or 12.7 million of those inconsistencies belong to native-born (as opposed to naturalized) U.S. citizens.

Some advocates like Harper of the Cato Institute are fighting the proposals because they believe that there are no checks against government error or abuse against citizens in the programs ostensibly targeting those here illegally. "Once built," wrote Harper, "this government monitoring system would soon be extended to housing, financial services, and other essentials to try to get at illegal immigrants. It would also be converted to policy goals well beyond immigration control." Waslin agrees. "These programs will do nothing to deal with undocumented immigrants because people will simply go further underground," says Waslin. "But they will eventually lead to a situation that will force every single person to ask the government for permission to work. We have to ask ourselves, 'Is it really worth it?'"

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation, answers Waslin's question with a resounding 'no', a 'no' accompanied by lawsuits, letter-writing and lobbying.

For their part, DHS representatives say that concerns about the effects on citizens are misplaced. The number of citizens mistakenly impacted by programs like No Match and E-Verify programs, says DHS spokesperson Amy Kudwa, "are a small portion of the population. Ninety-two percent of all E-verify queries are returned without incident in less than eight seconds and only 1 percent of them are contested. These are important tools in fighting illegal immigration."

But advocates point out that, despite being run on trial basis, E-Verify and other programs have already demonstrated disconcerting flaws that are rooted in the unreliability of the technology and the databases like that of SSA.

In the face of so many legislative proposals and administrative initiatives, Tinoco says his obligation to speak only grows because of his concern for his fellow immigrants -- and fellow citizens. "I still don't understand: how can this happen here? It's like a movie, a very bad movie." Asked what message he has for his fellow citizens, Tinoco answers, "This can happen to you too."

Follow Roberto Lovato on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robvato

Comments

[JScott]

And this is the system that I think Arizona will be implementing, sounds like a boondoggle to me, but then again that's conservative Arizone for you.

[quadman]

Yeah conservative Arizona. That same Arizona with Janet Napolitano as governor who has stated she will enforce this. Arizona is more purple than red.

[Merg]

Perhaps people should just begin the process of verifying their own Social Security Numbers NOW before they look for a new job to find out if their correct number and identity is in the system. Then they can have the problem fixed before a problem arises. It will save all those Legal residents and citizens future heartaches. See....wasn't that simple. Problem solved

[Sundialsvc4]

From a purely data-processing point of view, I would simply say this: "a computer can do a heck of a lot of leg-work for you, BUT... a computer cannot render a final decision."

For example, in this case Tyson had every right to say "the Federal computer has cast doubt on whether or not your social-security number is a valid one." However, the next step MUST proceed on the ancient premise of "innocent until proven guilty" because the maxim of "garbage-in garbage-out" still applies.

Mr. Tinoco should have been informed: "you have 48 hours to provide supplemental documentation to prove your employment status, or to show why you need an additional 48 hours to do so. We apologize for the inconvenience."

I think it's a =great= =thing= to start cracking down on illegals ... because, let's face it, "undocumented alien" is in-practice a not-so-very thinly disguised pseudonym for "slave." Thousands upon thousands of desperate human beings are being abused... enslaved... and anything that a computer can do to address that problem is a Good Thing. But a computer can only dish through millions of pieces of data and serve up "likely candidates." It can't be trusted to render final judgment. That requires "wetware." A real human being.

[BusGreg]

I know all the hype about them being illegal. here are a few sad facts:
After Ronnie Raygun signed the amnesty bill in 1986 all of us sat on our asses instead of doing something, such as securing the borders ore more importantly voting those who did nothing out of office. Now during the end of governor bush's term thanks to the xenophobic loudmouths such as lou dobbs, everybody gets worked up and is looking for an easy and quick fix. Ain't gonna happen. Last year the immigration cops deported about 300,000 undocumented aliens. At that rate it will take over 36 years to get rid of the 12 million, 66 years dor dobbs' 20 million. Undocumented = who and where are they? Finding all is hard. If you like to find out how the Real Id act is coming along, download or view the Real ID scorecard from the ACLU and read up on all the pitfalls. This problem was allowed to grow over the period of at least 22 years by now, so a fix will not be found over night and certainly not with the legislators we have now.
http://www.aclu.org/images/general/asset_upload_file162_33700.pdf

[TuffPosh]

The ACLU is indirectly linked to the Mexican government, the representatives of various state versions of their group have shown that their goal is not protecting our Constitutional rights but pushing a far-left agenda, and I'm only aware of one (1) case in which the ACLU stood on the side of those who oppose illegal immigration. Every other case that I'm aware of the ACLU getting involved in would have the impact of encouraging more illegal activity.

As for the rest, it makes no sense. It's true that we can't find every illegal alien, but by enforcing our laws now we can cause many to leave on their own and cause many fewer to try to come here illegally.

As for yet another attempt by Lovato to push whatever he's pushing, it's unfortunate that some number of people will have to go through the bureaucratic hoops. However, that's a small price to pay to reduce illegal immigration. If he wants some real victims, let's see him turn his attention to those who are victims of identity theft by illegal aliens.

[clr2]

Well said Tuffposh.

[Liberal2]

Being a liberal i don't see how supporting illegals is "leftwing". I'm against illegal immigration and against any amnesty. Anyone supporting undocumented persons to be in this country should required to allow undocumented residents to live in their houses.

As for finding illegals....we really don't have to! Let them "find" themselves. Here's how:

1) A federal law mandating a $25,000 reward paid to anyone, including an illegal, for turning in an employer of illegal labor.

2) The employer also pays first class transportation for each illegal in their employ and their families back to country of origin.

After one illegal get the first $25K, every single illegal would be terminated by every employer in the US.

[Quaoar]

Firing the workers without allowing them to explain the discrepancies is too extreme. That being said, verifying Social Security Numbers is a good idea although I support it more as a method for catching identity thieves than catching illegal aliens.

[SamThornton]

The DHS, an organization created out of a peculiar mix of hysteria and ignorance, has shown on more than one occasion its proclivity to become the American equivalent of the Gestapo. One of the first priorities of the incoming President should be to get rid of this instrument of totalitarian rule.

[clr2]

We need a system that weeds out ILLEGAL ALIENS. They are using fake social security numbers and some that are stolen. Checking social security numbers of all new hires is a great idea. ILLEGAL ALIENS are stealing identies and sucking our systems dry. We need to deport all ILLEGAL ALIENS, heavily fine those who hire ILLEGALS, and return to the original intent of the 14th amendment.