Dear Editor,

Delegate Pat McGeehan, who represents Hancock County, recently sponsored one of the most effective anti-illegal-immigration bills in the country — and then convinced his fellow delegates to pass it. His measure, HB 4759, would require most businesses to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to confirm that new hires aren’t illegal immigrants.

My organization works with lawmakers in Congress and state legislatures across the country to expand the use of E-Verify, because it’s the best tool to deter illegal immigration. In the handful of states that have already mandated universal E-Verify, illegal immigrant populations have generally dropped, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. In Mississippi, the illegal worker population plummeted 59%.

E-Verify confirms the work authorization status of more than 98% of hires instantly or within a 24-hour window, and has an error rate that’s just a tiny fraction of 1%.

But precisely because it’s so effective at rooting out cheap illegal labor, Big Business lobbyists oppose it. Unfortunately, they recently killed Delegate McGeehan’s bill in the Senate.

In West Virginia and across the country, too many Republican lawmakers publicly claim to oppose illegal immigration — but then quietly work to thwart E-Verify mandates and other bills in smoke-filled rooms. It’s sometimes tough to tell who is really trying to fix the problem.

So take it from me — Pat McGeehan is one of the good ones. Hancock County voters are lucky to have him.

Sincerely,
Andrew Good
Director, State Government Relations, NumbersUSA
Arlington, Va.