High-tech US immigration policy sparks criticism

August 06 2009 by Rebekah Nahai

Barack Obama hones US immigration policy

The immigration plans of US President Barack Obama have come under fire for their similarity to the policies of former president George W. Bush.

A published report has claimed that several pages of Obama’s policy report are identical to those of his predecessor.

The expansion of electronic employee verification system E-verify is particularly controversial. The US Department of Homeland security plans to enforce nationwide use of the program, which verifies the US immigration status of employees.

Critics say the E-verify database contains thousands of errors, which have led to the classification of 19,000 legal workers as illegal. The system also does not protect against potential abuses such as racial profiling.

Obama has garnered some support for his US immigration policies in Washington DC, but criticism amongst Republicans is widespread.

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