This Issue: The recent raids against seven chicken plants in Mississippi demonstrate two things. Mandatory E-Verify is long overdue, and the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens is necessary if illegal immigration is to be prevented.

This week, we learned more about the raids conducted against seven chicken processing plants in Mississippi last week by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) resulting in 608 arrests. And we also saw concerted attacks on the effectiveness of E-Verify, with opponents of the system claiming that, despite the employers' proper use of E-Verify, it failed to alert them to the illegal status of hundreds of workers. These claims are contradicted by evidence that has already emerged.

Most importantly, what we saw were Americans lining up to take the open jobs, more than 200 so far have applied!

Mississippi passed a law in 2008 requiring all employers in the state to use E-Verify by 2011, and two of the companies targeted by HSI issued statements asserting that they had been using E-Verify, and the problem wasn't any criminal activity on their part but the failure of the federal government to provide them with a workable verification system. They said they had no way of knowing that their employees were using stolen identities. It turns out, in some cases at least, those identification papers were provided to them by the employers.

(Read the blog below to learn the details of why HSI targeted these seven Mississippi plants, or click here).

While we don't yet know the full extent of how the employers used, or failed to use E-Verify, we do know from government documents and from statements from many of the workers, that the employers knowingly and willfully hired illegal aliens. E-Verify wasn't the problem.

You've heard us say for many years that the most effective way to reduce illegal immigration is for Congress to pass mandatory E-Verify. This raises the question: If the Mississippi law mandating E-Verify didn't prevent illegal hiring, how would passing a federal E-Verify law make any difference?

It's been no secret that Mississippi, and other states that require the use of E-Verify, haven't enforced those laws. This is due to several factors, the main one being the opposition of the agribusiness lobby, with the poultry industry making the biggest stink.

Whether or not a state requires businesses to use E-Verify, or assists with the enforcement of federal immigration law, it is still the responsibility of the federal government to legislate, promulgate, and enforce immigration law.

E-Verify is extremely effective and has the support of voters across the board. It is also popular with those who use it. Customer surveys have consistently found that between 85% and 87% of E-Verify users are satisfied with it. Imagine another government program that has this much support!

But no matter how effective the program is, it will only work for those who use it properly, and it is very easy to properly use.

Mandatory E-Verify is a must. Last year, the House came within 20 votes of passing a bill that would have mandated E-Verify for every U.S. employer. Unfortunately, then House Speaker Paul Ryan undermined the bill, and President Trump did not forcefully back it. If the White House really wants to combat illegal immigration it must push Congress to pass a mandatory E-Verify bill.

And there must be more enforcement actions against criminal employers who hire illegal aliens. No E-Verify law can be effective if there is no enforcement to back it up. That's why the chicken plants in Mississippi were flouting the law, because they assumed they would continue to get away with it. And that's why the actions by ICE are encouraging, along with the statement from ICE Acting Director Matt Albence that:

Our investigation in Mississippi continues and all parties found in violation of law will be held accountable. This includes the employers who profit off their crimes.

We certainly hope so!

Eric Ruark, Director of Research