Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Napolitano

This was not unexpected, but the government won a significant victory in its decision to require that federal contractors use E-Verify. Since January 2009, pursuant to an executive order from President Bush, all contractors holding over $100,000 in federal contracts must use E-Verify to check the employment eligibility of workers. E-Verify is an electronic database system maintained by the Social Security Administration, USCIS, and other government agencies. The controversial policy was challenged in court since it was established, and was delayed several times. A consortium of plaintiffs, headlined by the United States Chamber of Commerce, filed suit to block implementation of the new policy. The feds have won the first battle. A district court judge ruled today that the requirement that federal contractors use E-Verify is permissible because it does not violate immigration statutes pertaining to the E-Verify program. An appeal of the judge’s decision will no doubt follow.