Two-Thirds Not Enough--All Employees Should Be Scrutinized

A good start, but not nearly enough:

A new survey of Colorado employers suggests that about two-thirds go to extra lengths to ensure new hires are legally entitled to work in this country.

A joint survey by the Mountain States Employers Council and the Rocky Mountain News found that 65 percent of respondents said they verify the authenticity of a person's Social Security number as part of the hiring process. The move isn't required by law.

MSEC members participated anonymously in the unscientific survey, which was conducted on the group's Web site. Two hundred seventy-one members responded.

The nonprofit MSEC counts about 2,500 employers as members. The group provides members with help in human resources, employment law and other areas.

Everyone should be checked to make sure they can work in this country. Unequal enforcement is a de facto loophole for thousands of illegally present "workers" to skirt the system.