Yakima may look at E-Verify

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The Yakima City Council could soon take up the controversial topic of checking the legal status of all new city employees as well as people working for companies that contract with the city.

Council member Dave Ettl said Friday that a group of citizens approached him recently about adopting an ordinance that would require anyone who does business with the city to use E-Verify, a free federal employment-verification system.

Ettl said he is open to the idea.

"I think E-Verify, though flawed, is at least a step in the right direction," he said.

Supporters of past ballot issues that would have required something similar of all employers say they still would rather see a statewide, comprehensive adoption of E-Verify.

But they acknowledge that those initiatives failed to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot or win passage before the Legislature, making the local ordinance an attractive option.

"We don't want a checkerboard of local ordinances because that can be a problem," said Craig Fisher, a Yakima businessman who has spoken with Ettl.

"But we think if we can enact an ordinance, that will raise awareness of what we're trying to accomplish and provide some experience so people could point to Yakima and say, 'Yakima city has been doing this and here's how it worked.'"

Fisher said the idea is still in the planning stages but he hopes that it will either be presented to the City Council by a citizens group or by a council member.

"To me, it's about respect for the law," Fisher said, explaining his position. "If we don't, we have anarchy."

Mayor Micah Cawley said he'd want to know how businesses would be affected and whether there would be a cost to the city or businesses.

"I'd have to learn more about the program but when somebody asks us to take a look at something, we'll listen," Cawley said.

Former mayor Dave Edler said he'd be hardpressed to predict whether the council would support such an ordinance. He said he has no personal opinion on the subject but added: "I think we've got more important things to do."

The cities of Lakewood and Washougal have adopted so-called E-Verify ordinances. The Pierce County Council passed a similar ordinance, but it was vetoed last September by County Executive Pat McCarthy.

According to news accounts, McCarthy said the $10,000 contract threshold for the requirement was too low to be implemented as a practical matter. Although she said she didn't oppose the idea, McCarthy also said requiring employee checks within three days would be difficult for many employers.

Craig Keller of Seattle is one of the backers of Initiative 1056, which would require all employers -- public and private -- to use E-Verify to spot people ineligible to work legally in the United States.

He prefers the statewide initiative, which would deny undocumented immigrants most public benefits, including lottery winnings and college assistance. It would also prohibit them from obtaining driver's licenses.

But Keller said in a telephone interview Friday that he testified in support of an ordinance adopted by Lakewood last July.

"I don't happen to believe cities are hiring illegal aliens but this would establish best practices," Keller said.

Critics of E-Verify say it's not very effective. The online tool wrongly clears illegal workers about 54 percent of the time, according to Westat, a company that evaluated the system for the Homeland Security Department.

Keller dismisses the flaws. "That's a non-story. It's like blaming the fireman for the fire."

* Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 509-577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.