An e-mail from Kerrie Rushton of the White House:

Rich,
Regarding your post on Sec. Chertoff yesterday (“Holding Enforcement Hostage”), I first wanted to point you toward this fact sheet. We’d be happy to supply you with more info on our efforts if you’d like.
Now, regarding the Secretary’s comments. He was referring to just one important tool that is missing today that the bill would provide. As he noted yesterday in his letter to senators, “current law is ineffective and insufficient. The bipartisan immigration reform bill would give DHS several necessary new enforcement measures, including the Electronic Employment Verification System (EEVS) … ”
I wrote you Tuesday on this issue, pointing out how it is an improvement upon Basic Pilot, which is voluntary. While participation in Basic Pilot has jumped from 1,160 employers participating in 2001 to more than 15,500 employers participating today, the EEVS system would be a significant step forward:
Under The Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill, All U.S. Employers Will Be Required To Use EEVS To Verify Their Employees’ Work Eligibility. Under the current system, only a small percentage of U.S. employers participate in Basic Pilot, the voluntary program established to help employers determine the legal status of new hires. Under the bill, all U.S. employers will be required to check new hires using EEVS after an initial 18-month phase-in. Within three years, employers must use EEVS to verify the work eligibility of all employees not previously verified through the system.
EEVS Will Require Workers To Present A Limited Of Secure Government-Issued Or Government-Authorized IDs, Which Will Be Checked Electronically Against Federal And State Databases. EEVS allows for only a limited range of stronger and more readily verifiable identification documents including:
U.S. Passport issued by the State Department (for U.S. citizens only). Document issued by DHS or the State Department containing photo, biometrics, other such personal identifying info needed to ensure identity (for non-citizens). State-issued, REAL ID Act-compliant license presented along with a Social Security card. For a limited period before implementation of the REAL ID Act, a State-issued license with a photograph that can be verified by DHS, presented along with a birth certificate and Social Security card. EEVS Will Allow Employers To Access Identification Photographs In Government Databases To Verify The Authenticity Of Workers’ Documents. In addition to the checks against Social Security Administration (SSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases now performed under Basic Pilot, EEVS will link to the U.S. Department of State and Departments of Motor Vehicles in individuals States to confirm issuance of identity documents and provide employers with the digital photograph associated with these documents.
EEVS Will Also Have Audit Features To Flag Multiple Uses Of The Same Names And Social Security Numbers As Well As Potential Misuse By Employers.