The Senate passed an amendment yesterday to create an employer verification system 18 months after Congress appropriates money for it. It is already obvious that this will constitute another in a long string of blown and never-enforced deadlines when it comes to immigration enforcement. From the New York Times:

But some administration officials, employers and other lawmakers raised sharp questions about the amendment, which was developed in consultation with the American Civil Liberties Union. Officials at the United States Chamber of Commerce applauded the plan, but expressed doubts that homeland security officials could speedily create such a system.
“This is a massive undertaking on the part of the federal government,” said Randy Johnson, vice president at the chamber. “Our conversations with the administration have indicated that 18 months is too short.”
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security sent e-mail messages to senators saying they had concerns about the system’s “workability and implementation.”

This is why it is so imperative that any guest-worker or amnesty provisions come only after enforcement provisions are implemented. That will give everyone a nice incentive to see that the enforcement actually happens. Otherwise, we’re looking at 1986 all over again.