American Worker Employment Verification and Fair Hiring Act

This bill would require employers nationwide to use the federal employment-verification system for all new hires, with reasonable protections against verification errors and retaliation. It would establish targeted civil and criminal penalties for employers that knowingly employ unauthorized workers or use immigration status to facilitate wage theft, while strengthening federal coordination to recover unpaid wages and protect lawful workers who report exploitation. The bill would prioritize enforcement against repeat and large-scale violators without imposing penalties on employees who are victims of workplace abuse.