Employers scored a major victory last week, as the government effectively withdrew the regulation that would use Social Security Administration records for immigration enforcement. Late Friday, attorneys for the government filed a motion to stay the decision on the merits of the proposed no-match rule. The motion states that the Department of Homeland Security plans to publish new rules sometime in December that it claims will address the concerns outlined by Federal Court Judge Charles Breyer in his ruling granting the injunction against enforcement of the new rule.

This is widely viewed as a victory for employers. While not conceding any deficiencies with the rule, the government has apparently recognized that the potential for harm to lawful workers and employers due to inaccuracies in the Social Security database.

This motion gives employers a chance to put their houses in order before a new rule is published. The motion is certainly not an indication that the Department of Homeland Security will cease or suspend enforcement efforts, and the new rule is expected to keep employers in a very tenuous position in staffing their businesses. Employers should utilize this brief reprieve to assess their immigration, hiring, and retention policies in light of the trend of increased worksite enforcement, so that they are as prepared as possible for the new rules in place. Our firm is actively involved in assisting employers in the area of employee verification. Employers should contact us if they are interested in improving their verification procedures, and/or conducting an audit to determine if there is any current liability.