Study: E-Verify failure rate over 50%

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI/AP) - A federal database used by Rhode Island state contractors to weed out illegal workers misses over half the people it is supposed to catch, according to a new study.

Westat, a research company that evaluated the E-Verify system for the Homeland Security Department, found 54 percent of the illegal immigrants checked through E-Verify are cleared to work because they are using stolen or borrowed identities.

E-Verify allows employers to run a worker's information against Homeland Security Department and Social Security databases to check whether the person is permitted to work in the U.S. Congress and the Obama administration are urging employers to use E-Verify voluntarily to help curb illegal immigration.

As part of his 2008 executive order cracking down on illegal immigration , Governor Carcieri required all state contractors to use E-Verify to check the backgrounds of their employees. State lawmakers are also considering a bill requiring private businesses to use E-verify as well .