The rule requiring federal contractors to use E-Verify finally goes into effect today, after several delays. (Here is the FAQ for federal contractors.) There aren’t likely to be that many illegals working for Lockheed Martin, of course; the strategic purpose of the measure is to move a larger and larger share of hiring decisions into E-Verify, to create momentum for eventual legislative change. This replicates (and is modeled on) the civil-rights process started by FDR with Executive Order 8802, which required that War Department contracts prohibit racial discrimination.