November 19, 2009 10:53AM 

# “I E‑Verify”: Do Businesses Agree With Your Values? 

By [Jim Harper](https://www.cato.org/people/jim-harper) 

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My March 2008 paper, *[Franz Kafka’s Solution to Illegal Immigration](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9256)*, detailed the problems with electronic employment verification systems. The paper concludes that successful “internal enforcement” of immigration law requires a national ID—and ultimately a cradle-to-grave biometric tracking system.

The Department of Homeland Security has started a program called the “[I E‑Verify” campaign](http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1258640944663.shtm) for businesses that use the federal background check system on its employees. If you see businesses with “I E‑Verify” decorations or insignia, they at least indirectly support a national ID system in the United States. This can help you decide whether or not you want to spend your dollars with them.

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