Weekend Question 2: Why Will Employer Verification Not Totally Solve the Illegal Worker Problem?

Jerry Seper of The Washington Times gives us the answer (HT Porkopolis):

Social Security uncovers illegal workers

Privacy concerns prevent the Social Security Administration from notifying an employer that a hired foreign national is not authorized to work in this country, including someone who may be a potential national security risk, says a government audit.

The audit, by the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General, also found the agency fears employers will improperly terminate the illegal workers who have been issued Social Security numbers, leading to “adverse publicity.”

“Unauthorized work by noncitizens weakens [Social Security number] integrity and may require that the agency pay benefits to these individuals,” said Inspector General Patrick P. O’Carroll Jr. in the audit.

“In addition, noncitizens who work without (Department of Homeland Security) authorization could affect homeland security because they may obtain employment in sensitive areas.”

Since 2003, the SSA has issued Social Security numbers, dubbed “non-working,” to foreign nationals who need them to collect state or federal benefits, such as public assistance.

The audit released last month as immigration-reform debate heated up on Capitol Hill says 109,064 foreign nationals used their non-working Social Security numbers to report earnings at 100 companies reviewed between 2001 to 2002. It said hundreds of thousands more also are using their Social Security cards illegally.

The report said employers that posted the largest number of illegal wage earners were government, retail and universities, and the largest number of noncitizens with earnings under a non-working Social Security number were from Mexico, India and the Philippines.

So, thanks to reckless issuance of Social Security numbers by the agency that it supposed to be maining their integrity, an employer who does everything required under the law may still, through no fault of their own, end up hiring people they legally should not be able to.

And the PC reasons cited above for not doing anything about it are enough to make one ill.