US Adds E-Verify Alert On Revoked Work Permits For Immigrants

• The U.S. federal government has implemented a policy change affecting employer management of employee immigration status.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has enhanced the E-Verify system, a tool for verifying employment eligibility.
• A new feature, the “status change report,” will notify employers if a worker’s Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is revoked after hiring.

A recent policy change by the U.S. federal government could significantly impact how employers manage the immigration status of their employees and may result in sudden job losses for thousands of immigrant workers.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week rolled out a major enhancement to E-Verify, the digital tool used by many businesses to verify the employment eligibility of new hires. This update introduces a new “status change report” feature that automatically alerts employers when a worker’s Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is revoked, even after the person has been hired.

While the change is intended to strengthen compliance with immigration laws in the workplace, it’s already sparking concern among legal experts and labor advocates. The reason? Only employers receive these alerts not the employees themselves. Critics argue that this could result in workers losing their jobs with little to no warning or chance to correct the issue.

A Shift in Notification Practices

Previously, there was no system in place to inform employers if a worker’s authorization to work had expired or been withdrawn. Now, E-Verify will notify employers in real time, placing increased pressure on them to respond appropriately or face penalties.

However, the lack of communication with the affected employees has raised red flags. Many immigrant workers could unknowingly fall out of status especially those affected by recent changes in federal immigration programs, such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS), humanitarian parole, or the CHNV parole initiative.

Employer Responsibilities and Legal Risks

The DHS has advised employers to proceed carefully. If a worker appears on a status change report and cannot show valid work authorization, employers are expected to end their employment. Still, DHS warns that employers must not misuse the system to target workers based on race, nationality, or presumed immigration status, as this could violate federal anti-discrimination laws.

This places employers in a legal dilemma: failing to act could result in penalties for employing unauthorized workers, while premature or discriminatory action could trigger legal consequences.

For many immigrant employees especially those waiting on asylum decisions or TPS renewals the policy introduces new uncertainty. Without direct notification, they may only discover their change in status once they’re unexpectedly terminated.