Bush Punts to Obama on Immigration Rule

Following the Bush administration’s failure to pass wide-ranging immigration reform, the White House cracked down on illegal immigration through workplace raids and a set of executive actions targeting employers.

But they are now delaying one part of their efforts, and handing over perhaps the first tough question on immigration reform to President-elect Obama.

The administration will delay an executive order that requires federal contractors to use a computerized system to check whether they are hiring legal workers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit in federal district court against the rule, which required federal contractors and some subcontractors to use the E-Verify computer system to check the status of employees. The rule was set to go into effect on Jan. 15.

The government is delaying the rule from taking effect until February 20.