Senate Bill 1151 mandates nationwide E-Verify under IRCA amendments

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, confirmed by the Senate 59-34 on January 25, 2025, supports mandatory E-Verify to verify work authorization for millions of employees.

Twenty-three states including Arizona, Alabama, and South Carolina already mandate E-Verify for state contractors and large employers, creating a patchwork system across the country.

The legislation would permanently authorize E-Verify rather than relying on periodic congressional extensions, making the system a permanent part of immigration enforcement.

E-Verify compares employee information from Form I-9 with Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to verify work authorization.

Small businesses face disproportionate compliance burdens compared to large corporations that already have human resources infrastructure to handle verification requirements.

Agricultural and service industries that depend heavily on immigrant labor express concerns about labor shortages and increased operational costs under mandatory verification.