The June jobs report showed the economy added just 57,000 jobs — roughly half of what economists expected — while April and May were revised down by a combined 74,000 jobs. Hundreds of thousands of Americans left the labor force entirely, and more than a quarter of the unemployed have now been out of work for 27 weeks or longer. In a labor market this weak, no American should have to compete with illegal labor for a job.

H.R. 251, the Legal Workforce Act, would require every employer to run new hires through the E-Verify system, phased in over three years, with protections for employers who use the system in good faith. Employment verification draws support from voters across party lines because it targets the real problem: some employers choose to hire, underpay, and exploit illegal workers rather than offer Americans a fair wage. The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that mandatory E-Verify would raise the wages of legal low-skilled workers by roughly 5 percent.

We can already see what is possible. Challenger, Gray, & Christmas reports that in regions with stepped-up immigration enforcement, tighter labor supply is pushing some employers to hire local teenagers — young Americans gaining their first work experience. Please cosponsor H.R. 251, the Legal Workforce Act, and help build an immigration system that works for American workers.

Greg Raven, Apple Valley, CA

Sent to:
Jay Obernolte