Immigration

Work eligibility checks (E-Verify)

18 public statements from 2026 candidates · 1 related bill

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Requiring it would make it harder to hire people who aren't allowed to work here, and it adds paperwork for employers and can wrongly flag eligible workers.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Whether all employers must use E-Verify, the federal online system for checking that new hires can legally work in the US, which federal contractors must already use under many federal contracts.1

  1. Keep it optional for most employers
  2. Require it only for larger employers or certain industries
  3. Require all employers to use it

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Keep it optional for most employers (1)

  • David Jolly FL Governor
    His campaign website opposes state laws that require employers to use E-Verify, saying they hurt Florida's workforce.2

Require all employers to use it (6)

  • Ken Calvert CA-40
    His campaign website says he wrote the 1996 law that created E-Verify and is a leading advocate for making its use mandatory.3,4
  • Brian Burley CA-42
    A platform document on his campaign website proposes requiring every state to put in place and enforce E-Verify for all employers in the state.5
  • Byron Donalds FL Governor
    His campaign website says he would require every Florida business to use E-Verify.6
  • Julia Letlow LA Senate
    Her campaign website says she would require E-Verify nationwide.7
  • Michael Mebruer LA-6
    His campaign website says he supports mandatory nationwide use of E-Verify and clear, meaningful penalties for employers who knowingly hire workers who are not authorized to work.8
  • Justin Murphy NJ Senate
    His campaign website says E-Verify should be implemented for America's workforce.9

Statements that don't match one option (11)

  • Jeff Wadlin AR Senate
    His campaign website says he supports reliable workplace verification and that managers of companies that employ immigrants without legal status should face fines and criminal penalties.10
  • Ritesh Tandon CA-17
    His campaign website says he would strengthen employer verification and anti-fraud enforcement and impose strong penalties for illegal hiring.11
  • Tim Bennett CO-7
    His campaign website calls for restoring orderly, legal pathways for entry, strengthening employment checks and holding accountable employers who exploit vulnerable workers.12
  • Michael "Dr. Mike" Katz DE Senate
    His campaign website says workplace verification systems should be mandatory.13
  • Frank J. Russo FL Governor
    His campaign website says he would strengthen employment verification requirements for state agencies and state contractors.14
  • Bill Foster IL-11
    His campaign website says the 2013 Senate bill whose framework he supports would have followed those visa adjustments with strong E-Verify enforcement so that only people here legally could be hired.15
  • Larry Davis III LA-6
    His campaign website's Policies page lists mandatory employment verification among his border security goals.16
  • Blake Miguez LA-6
    His campaign website says that in Congress he will mandate E-Verify.17
  • Rick Brattin MO-5
    His campaign website says that in the Missouri legislature he sponsored legislation to penalize companies that hire workers off the books without verifying their immigration status.18
  • Cyril Jefferson NC-6
    His campaign website says he would protect American wages with E-Verify, along with expanding legal visa pathways and streamlining hiring for trusted employers.19
  • Rebecca Bextel WY Governor
    Her campaign website says she would seek legislation requiring E-Verify for state agencies, state contractors and companies that receive state economic development aid.20

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.