This week, the North Carolina House passed HB 36, which could keep immigrants and nonimmigrants alike from getting a job, exactly what we DON’T need in a time of high unemployment.  Now the bill is moving to the Senate to be considered, the next step in the process for it to become law.

The last thing that North Carolina needs is another obstacle between jobs and eligible workers.  But the state’s legislature is proposing to do that just that. 

HB 36 requires the use of the flawed federal E-Verify system. Various studies, including the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) Dangerous Business: Implications of an EEVS for Latinos and the U.S. Workforce, have shown that E-Verify incorrectly identifies authorized workers as unauthorized to work, is subject to employer misuse, and relies on error-ridden, outdated databases. 

Contrary to what proponents of the bill have said, the E-Verify program could have great consequences on individual eligible workers and their families, including delays in employment, legal fees, and even job loss. Here’s just one example from testimony given before the U.S. Congress:

A U.S. citizen and former captain in the U.S. Navy with 34 years of service and a history of having maintained high security clearance was flagged by E-Verify as not eligible for employment.  It took him and his wife, an attorney, two months to resolve the discrepancy.

The Immigration Policy Center estimates that up to 104,495 U.S. citizen and lawful immigrant workers in North Carolina could be told they are ineligible to work.  Don’t let this happen to North Carolina’s workers!  In a time of economic uncertainty, North Carolina cannot afford to play with its families' livelihoods.  

Join NCLR and the Latin American Coalition and sign this petition to your North Carolina state senator to put a stop to this harmful bill.