For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

President Bush recently announced that the Federal government would make it easier for employers to verify employment eligibility and continue to hold them to account for the workers they hire.  To that end, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today the release of two Federal regulations to help businesses comply with current legal hiring requirements intended to reduce the employment of unauthorized aliens. 

The first proposal would permit U.S. businesses to digitize their I-9 employment forms, which are used to verify eligibility to work in the United States.  The other proposed regulation would set forth guidance for U.S. businesses when handling no-match letters from the Social Security Administration (SSA) concerning submitted employee Social Security numbers or from DHS concerning documents submitted by employees during the I-9 process.

“Most businesses want to do the right thing when it comes to employing legal workers,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.  “These new regulations will give U.S. businesses the necessary tools to increase the likelihood that they are employing workers consistent with our laws.  They also help us to identify and prosecute employers who are blatantly abusing our immigration system.”