The No-Work List

Hidden in the immigration reform bill is something known as the “mandatory employee verification system.” Ostensibly this system would enable employers to verify whether or not potential employees are citizens or legal residents. However, like the infamous no-fly list, which prevents two-year-old children with the “wrong” name from flying, technical snafus could prevent innocent people from working. Naturally, there is a “solution,” and naturally it is even scarier than the problem: Give the government more personal information. The following article discusses this in more detail:

'No-work list' predicted: Employee verification system would affect all workers, privacy experts say

I should add another potential problem not discussed in the article …

Originally, the no-fly list was supposed to prevent “terrorists” from boarding aircraft, but in practice it has been used against peace activists and others whose only crime is non-violent dissent. Therefore, it is conceivable that the criteria for a no-work list might be expanded as well. US citizens opposed to the war might find themselves unemployable. One more means of discouraging dissent.