The Trump administration is emphasizing its intensified immigration enforcement measures by including the use of U.S. military planes to transport shackled immigrants, increasing arrests of undocumented individuals, and repealing programs that previously allowed some to legally remain in the country.
However, a significant omission from President Donald Trump’s strategies to decrease illegal immigration is the pursuit of businesses that employ undocumented workers.
The E-Verify system, a government tool created nearly three decades ago, facilitates the verification of potential employees’ legal eligibility to work in the United States.
This program has garnered support from several high-profile advocates, including Project 2025, which represents a framework for a possible second Trump administration, advocating for its mandatory implementation.
Yet, E-Verify largely remains a voluntary program and is seldom enforced, even as Trump’s properties, including hotels and golf resorts, have been slow to implement it.
The discussion around workplace enforcement showcases America’s intricate views on immigration, its economic reliance on migrant labor, and an internal conflict within the Republican Party.
According to Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a group with ties to the Trump administration, merely deporting criminals or fugitives will not significantly reduce the illegal population without also focusing on workplace enforcement.
In enacting a national emergency at the southern border, Trump painted a chaotic picture of immigrants invading the country, linking illegal immigration to violent crime and suggesting foreign nations are sending dangerous individuals to the U.S.
However, the reality is that many undocumented immigrants in the U.S. contribute to the economy by working in various sectors like construction, agriculture, and hospitality.
There’s widespread opposition to E-Verify from diverse groups, ranging from Republican immigration hardliners to industry representatives like Idaho’s dairy farmers and hotel owners in New York.
E-Verify, an online system managed by the Department of Homeland Security since the late 1990s, uses Social Security numbers to verify work eligibility quickly.
Despite its availability, only about 20% of U.S. employers utilize it, with 1.3 million businesses like Walmart, Starbucks, and Home Depot participating.
While some acknowledge the system’s vulnerabilities to fraud, research indicates that states with E-Verify mandates have experienced reductions in illegal migrant workers, which may also act as a deterrent to illegal border crossings in search of employment.
Throughout Trump’s first term, proposals to mandate national E-Verify were quietly abandoned, and legislative efforts in predominantly Republican states frequently failed to impose widespread employer compliance.
In states like Idaho, where the GOP dominates, lawmakers speak against illegal immigration while simultaneously resisting E-Verify requirements, citing potential harm to vital industries like agriculture, which heavily depend on immigrant labor.
Even Republican Governor Brad Little of Idaho has expressed concerns over the burden mandatory E-Verify would impose on businesses, given the state’s historical and ongoing reliance on foreign workers.
Idaho’s agricultural sector, notably its dairy industry, needs year-round labor that current visa programs for seasonal workers cannot fulfill.
Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairyman’s Association, asserts that removing undocumented workers from the agricultural workforce would severely impact food production capacity.
Consequently, the anxiety in the industry is palpable as they grapple with balancing worker legality with operational survival.
Republican state Rep. Jaron Crane recently introduced a bill for an agricultural guest worker program to address labor needs while accommodating some undocumented residents, a move critiqued by former Idaho Solicitor General Theo Wold as counterproductive to the Trump administration’s agenda.
Despite previous commitments, Trump officials have yet to focus intensively on workplace enforcement or E-Verify mandates.
Border czar Tom Homan assured that worksite enforcement would resurface, yet such actions remain infrequent.
While Trump had advocated for universal E-Verify usage during his 2016 campaign, he has remained silent on the issue during his current term.
In 2019, reports surfaced regarding undocumented workers at Trump-owned properties, spurring Eric Trump to announce plans to implement E-Verify across all sites, a measure that took years to materialize.
However, the Trump Organization has not publicly addressed these developments further.
