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Keep E-Verify Out of Our Economy
As the Rhode Island economy has worsened over the last several years, some people out of fear and out of racism, have used our shared economic crisis as a platform to promote a fatally flawed federal program, E-Verify.
Last summer Governor Carcieri passed an executive order, that among other things, requires participation in E-Verify by state contractors. In the coming months we expect to see proposed legislation making E-Verify mandatory for all RI employers. This would be a terrible blow to Rhode Island's struggling economy. Business leaders & human rights activists alike have documented that E-Verify places an undue burden on business and wrongly discriminates against workers. The database on which E-Verify relies has millions of errors.
But it is true, there are unscrupulous employers who operate in Rhode Island who violate wage and hour law every day because workers don't know their rights and the RI Department of Labor does not have the investigative resources necessary to hold employers accountable.
The U.S. needs comprehensive immigration reform. Rhode Island needs labor law enforcement to move us out of this crisis.
Please sign this online petition to keep E-Verify Out of Our Economy. We will send all signers information about when this petition will be delivered to members of Rhode Island's House and Senate.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Rhode Islanders Are Opposed to E-Verify
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
We are opposed the use of E-Verify in Rhode Island workplaces. E-Verify:
-Wrongly discriminates against immigrant citizens, with almost 10% initially told that they are not authorized to work (versus .1% of U.S. born workers.)
- Creates a documented burden of time and money on small businesses at exactly the wrong time.
- Promotes discrimination and harassment in the workplace by unscrupulous employers, but also by employers who are simply afraid of being in noncompliance.
For Rhode Island to move out of this financial crisis workers and employers need clarity and security in their business practices. We oppose the use of E-Verify in Rhode Island, but instead support fully resourcing the Department of Labor's investigation department to ensure that RI's wage and hour laws are being enforced.
We also pledge to contact our Federal delegation the US House and Senate to call for comprehensive immigration reform.
Signed by:
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