NC Cities & Counties Start Using E-Verify on New Hires

Mason Alexander, the managing partner of the Charlotte office, appeared on News 14 Carolina in a segment about the new North Carolina state law requiring all local governments agencies to use the federal E-Verify program. The news station reported that, effective October 1, 2011, cities and counties must comply with the same electronic screening process for new hires that state agencies have been using for the past five years. Mason said the new law probably will not have a big immediate impact on government human resources departments due to the fact that there is not a lot of hiring being done at the moment. "There may be some industries or employers who are afraid that they have got a significant number of illegals in their workforce," he added. "Right now, all you have is an I-9 form, and if the document appears to be valid, you have to take them on face value." After E-Verify is fully implemented, employers who hire illegal immigrants without using the program would face thousands of dollars in fines.