LIMA – State Representative Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield) recently commented on the pending consideration of House Bill 327, saying the “Ohio E-Verify” bill is needed to address the influx of individuals entering the country illegally and subsequently locating in Ohio.

The E-Verify system, administered by the Social Security Administration and U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), allows employers to quickly determine the citizenship status and employment eligibility of a job applicant. The system currently recognizes 21,950 Ohio employers as using E-Verify. HB 327 would require Ohio public contractors, subcontractors, and employers with more than 70 employees to use the system as well.

Manchester serves as Vice-Chair of the Ohio House Commerce and Labor Committee, which passed HB 327 with bipartisan support in May.

“When it comes to illegal immigration, Ohio has become a border state,” said Manchester. “Ohio workers and taxpayers deserve to know that the Biden Administration’s open border policy will not result in good, local jobs going to those who are not eligible to work.”

Manchester pointed to testimony given in her committee by former USCIS Director Joe Edlow, who stated that “Research conducted on the effect of E-Verify found that illegal immigration in a state fell more than 50% when a state implemented a mandatory E-Verify Law. This system is the single most important addition to the immigration toolkit by disincentivizing illegal immigration and removing the competitive disadvantage burdened by employers following the law in an economy with employers who willfully skirt it.”

Having passed committee, the bill now awaits consideration and a vote in the full House of Representatives.

Constituents are welcome to contact Representative Manchester’s office by calling (614) 466-6344 or emailing [email protected].