Washington Times (03/15/12) Stephen Dinan

Alejandro Mayorkas, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, says the agency can handle additional requests through its E-Verify system, though it would need time to handle additional capacity if all states mandated use of the system. E-Verify mandates for all businesses have been passed in Arizona, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi, and 13 states require its use by state agencies and government contractors. However, compliance levels vary in states with mandates. Mayorkas says the system ran more than 17 million checks during the 2011 fiscal year, and 102,942 individuals have used the system to check their status as of March 15. Legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, would require the use of E-Verify for all new hires nationwide, but the bill has stalled.