House Republicans urge Chamber to back E-Verify

Two dozen House Republicans asked the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Tuesday to support the E-Verify program, which employers can use to check if employees are legally authorized to work in the United States.

"If the Chamber supports American workers, it should support E-verify and other programs that help ensure American jobs are reserved for a legal workforce," they wrote in a letter to Thomas Donohue, the Chamber's president.

The letter, spearheaded by House Judiciary ranking member Lamar Smith, argues that wages for U.S. workers are depressed by the employment of illegal immigrants.

Angelo Amador, director of immigration policy for the Chamber, was somewhat surprised by the letter, noting that his group does not oppose E-Verify but objects to a federal mandate that would require companies to use the program without adequate safeguards.

The Chamber supports a three-year reauthorization of E-Verify, Amador said, noting that Congress has only extended the program until September. "Let's make sure that we come up with a program that works and that has safeguards for the employees and the employers as well," he said.