Iowa lawmakers moved forward a proposal to make hiring undocumented workers a crime and require employers to use the federal E-Verify system. (Photo by Getty Images)
Advocates for businesses and immigrants spoke Wednesday in opposition to a bill in the Iowa Senate that would require employers use the federal E-Verify program to ensure they are not hiring undocumented immigrants.
Republican senators on a subcommittee voted to advance Senate File 108 , legislation prohibiting Iowa employers from knowingly hiring a worker who is not authorized to live or work in the country.
The bill is a holdover from the 2023 legislative session, when it advanced through the committee process but was not brought to the Senate floor. Similar bills have been considered in previous legislative sessions but ultimately have not advanced.
While lobbyists speaking on behalf of Iowa business groups said employers want to ensure they are not hiring undocumented workers, many brought forward concerns with the legislation requiring use of E-Verify . The federal web-based system shares a potential hire’s I-9 employment eligibility verification form with the federal Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security to ensure they are legally able to work in the country.