Hiring Illegals? Securities Regulators May Call

By James R. Edwards, Jr. on June 7, 2012

A Bloomberg Businessweek report says the Securities and Exchange Commission is increasingly investigating publicly traded companies that run afoul of immigration laws. That's good news because businesses that gain an unfair competitive advantage over law-abiding firms should be held to account for all aspects of their ill-gotten gains.

Most American businesses obey the laws. But those that get a leg up on their lawful competition by employing illegal foreign workers deserve close scrutiny from the SEC, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor, and other government agencies, federal and state. As with any other crime, the fastest way to curb such violations is through accountability and consequences under the law.

Of course, one ready-made way for companies to ensure they have a legal workforce is to verify employment eligibility through the E-Verify program. This free, reliable, robust instant-check system ferrets out illegals who steal American jobs. And it protects Americans who otherwise might land those jobs.