DENVER—Two Denver City Council members might propose an ordinance requiring random checks of contract workers’ immigration status.
Council members Jeanne Faatz and Chris Nevitt are considering the proposal after a recent audit found that more than a dozen workers on a city project had invalid Social Security numbers. Nevitt said he has asked the city attorney and auditor to look into how other cities handle the issue.
Faatz said the city auditor’s office found that 12 of the 25 employees working for Noraa Concrete Construction Corp. on a Denver project had invalid Social Security numbers. She requested the audit after a tip from a constituent.
Auditor Dennis Gallagher’s office found an additional 13 questionable Social Security numbers for Noraa employees on three other city projects.
“The fact we have laid off 170 perfectly qualified competent city workers because of budget cuts, yet money would be funneled to other people when there is a question about the legitimacy of their Social Security numbers, is mind-boggling,” Faatz said.
Lori Kaiser, the controller for Noraa, said the employees were hired before the company started using E-Verify, an electronic system that checks workers’ immigration status.
Some states require contractors to use E-Verify, said David Broadwell, assistant city attorney.Colorado requires the check in limited cases.
Broadwell added that federal law restricts the use of E-Verify to just new employees, not current ones.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
