Domestic Jobs Protection Act
The Domestic Jobs Protection Act is a narrowly targeted bill that would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act by removing the phrase “or by the Attorney General” from the definition of “unauthorized alien” in 8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)(3). In practical terms, this change would shift any determination of who qualifies as an unauthorized alien for the purposes of employment verification and related enforcement away from the Attorney General (DOJ) and toward the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill does not add new penalties, programs, or funding; it simply reassigns which federal official is designated to define unauthorized status. The aim, in line with its title, is to strengthen domestic job protection by centralizing authority within DHS.
Key Points
- 1Purpose: Amend the definition of unauthorized alien to modify who can designate someone as unauthorized.
- 2Specific change: Strike the words “or by the Attorney General” from 8 U.S.C. 1324a(h)(3).
- 3Result: The definition would rely solely on the Secretary of Homeland Security rather than including the Attorney General.
- 4Consequences: Changes in enforcement authority within the executive branch; potentially affects how employers verify work authorization and respond to penalties.
- 5Scope: Narrow change limited to the definitional provision; no new penalties, procedures, or funding included.