County should require E-Verify system

Umatilla County Commissioners Hansell, Givens, and Doherty should require Umatilla County government use the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Citizen and Immigration Services (CIS) E-Verify system. The importance of Umatilla County using the U.S. DHS CIS E-Verify system really becomes apparent with Oregon’s unemployment rate in October being 9.5 percent, 177,350 were unemployed. The county’s October unemployment numbers were at 9.6 percent; 3,026 residents were unemployed.

Unemployed Oregonians who are U.S. citizens or foreign citizens legally present with authorization to work in the country should not have to compete for jobs with a purported 97,000 un-documented foreign national workers illegally in the state.

If all Oregon employers not currently using the E-Verify system were required to use it, Oregon’s unemployment rate would drop dramatically because all new jobs created in the state would go to those authorized to work in the country.

Currently 2,227 Oregon employers use the 98.6 percent accurate E-Verify system. Twelve of thirty-six Oregon county governments are now using the E-Verify system (Clatsop, Deschutes, Harney, Jefferson, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, and Washington counties). Thirty-two Umatilla County businesses and government entities (City of Milton-Free-water, Umatilla School District 6R, and Umatilla School District No. 7) presently use the E-Verify system.

Umatilla County residents should contact Commissioners Hansell, Givens, and Doherty and ask them to require Umatilla County government use the U.S. DHS CIS E-Verify system so if a job opening becomes available to work for the county a qualified U.S. citizen or foreign citizen legally present with authorization to work in the country can be first in line for that job.