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The experience

State Department offices. The bill for the

has not appeared at a government office to

increased demand for passports has been

contest her nonconfirmation within eight

of American

estimated at $1 billion for just three years.35

days, the EEV system issues a final noncon-

workers when

firmation to the Big Store, and Peggy is fired.

The passport issuance process is a loose

they sought

parallel to the probable system for contesting

Welcome to the Jungle

tentative nonconfirmations. Although the

permission to

Even if Peggy were somehow confident

number of tentative nonconfirmations may

work would be

enough with her employment situation to

not be as high, the EEV system would be

get time away from training, and even if this

expected to handle about a million transac-

like their trips to

recent recipient of her GED were familiar

tions each week, with more than 2 million of

the nation's

enough with the procedure for contesting a

those getting further review as tentative non-

departments of

tentative nonconfirmation (while juggling

confirmations each year.

childcare), the unwelcoming and inefficient

It gets worse. For a significant number of

motor vehicles,

processes she would encounter at the federal

American workers, challenging tentative non-

post offices, and

government's offices should not be lightly

confirmations would not be just a matter of

dentists--long

dismissed. Disputes of tentative nonconfir-

presenting their documents and cleaning up

mations would not happen in lushly carpet-

the data in government systems. Counterat-

lines, unfriendly

ed offices with marble columns, hot coffee,

tacks on the system would complicate things.

service, and

and friendly, attentive staff. The experience

Many law-abiding American citizens would

of American workers when they sought per-

enter SSA and DHS offices as criminal sus-

painful

mission to work would be much more like

pects and potential candidates for deportation.

procedures.

their trips to the nation's departments of

motor vehicles, post offices, and dentists--

Counterattacks and

long lines, unfriendly service, and painful

Complications

procedures.

Some evidence indicates what American

workers would experience when they went to

Immigrants and employers dedicate their

clear up their tentative nonconfirmations. At

ingenuity to getting what they want and

the beginning of 2007, a new travel restriction

need. Although a national EEV system would

was imposed on all persons traveling by air

reduce the growth in illegal immigration by

between the United States and Western Hemi-

some measure, it would also prompt illegal

sphere countries. Americans visiting these

immigrants and some employers to under-

nearby neighbors are now required to present

take a variety of countermeasures.

a passport to reenter the United States, for-

For example, more people would work

merly not required if other proof of a right to

"under the table." Workers and employers

reenter was available. This requirement was an

would collude--even more often than they do

now36--to avoid the already substantial regula-

opening step in the implementation of a pro-

gram called the Western Hemisphere Travel

tory hassles and costs of working on the

Initiative, which--for little security benefit--

books. With the increased liability for employ-

will eventually require all Americans visiting

ers who did comply with the Form I-9 process

local neighboring countries to carry a pass-

(the updated penalties noted earlier), follow-

port.33

ing the letter of the law would be riskier, and

violating the law by going underground

The new rule drove a crush of Americans

would be relatively more attractive.

to passport offices seeking travel documents

Avoidance of EEV would be one result of

and caused delays in processing of up to a

strengthened internal enforcement. But a

month and a half, even though the State

Department had augmented its staff.34

variety of counterattacks on the EEV system

would be part of the response as well. They

Travelers across the country had their plans

would create extraordinary new costs and

thrown into doubt, and they angrily besieged

8