Colorado Scandal: Unemployment Benefits for Illegal Aliens

I wish I could say that this was unbelievable.  But, the fact is, I'm not the least bit surprised.

Unemployment Benefits for Illegal Immigrants: Colorado Scandal Exposed
By Jack Fowler

The investigative arm of Colorado’s Independence Institute is reporting that officials at the state’s labor agency defied the law by disabling computer software and thereby allowing “unqualified citizens and illegal aliens” to receive unemployment insurance since early 2009. Here’s the story by Todd Shepherd:

Independence Investigates has obtained internal emails from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) showing that a software control intended to prevent the payment of unemployment insurance to unqualified citizens as well as to illegal aliens was shut off in early 2009.

The emails dictate that former CDLE unemployment insurance director Mike Cullen demanded “Work Order 51662” be given top priority within the department. Completion of the work order would mean various questions asked of someone filing for unemployment regarding citizenship would effectively be ignored by a computer system.

The documents also show that several individuals within the department immediately raised the issue that the work order might be circumventing the law, specifically House Bill 06-1023. HB 1023 was passed in a special session of the legislature in 2006, and mandated that certain government benefits, such as unemployment insurance, be denied to illegal aliens.

In one email, an IT technician says, “This seems to be a super fast slam dunk. Do we need anything in writing from [director] Mike Cullen as this seems to be a violation of the law (HB-1023)?”

Another email from a different IT technician predicted media fallout, saying, “…this ain’t all so hard to do, BUT we will effectively disabling the legislatures HB-1023 which is now state law. When Channel 4 news finds out, lots of people will be pointing finders [sic] and saying, ‘it wasn’t me.’”

Read the complete story here.

If you read the complete story, you'll see that the allegation is that the leadership was whining about the amount of work and so, it seems, just decided to ignore the law by use of software. 

The CDLE told “Independence Investigates” that the execution of the work order did not violate HB-1023. Spokeswoman Cher Haavind said in an email:

The Unemployment Insurance Program accessed the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle’s database to verify that the randomly selected claimants possessed a valid license or identification number. Because various circumstances may identify a license or identification number as invalid—such as a suspended or revoked license—and the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle is not willing to provide additional information on their inquiry screen, unemployment insurance benefit payments were not denied if numbers cannot be validated through the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicle.

There are several reasons the cross match system identification process was not effective in identifying illegal aliens including maiden/married name changes and expired driver’s licenses. It did nothing to address the concerns set forth in HB 06S-1023, but rather delayed benefits to thousands of eligible unemployment insurance recipients.

Haavind went on to say that prior to the passage and implementation of HB-1023, “…the Unemployment Insurance program had existing measures in place to verify legal citizenship.”

So, I thought I'd look up the requirements to get a Drivers License in Colorado because I keep hearing that Colorado requires proof of lawful presense.  Really?  Don't be so sure.  What that list consists of are Primary Evidence which the vast majority of actual law-abiding citizens will be able to provide such as birth certificates, passports, certificate of birth abroad to a US citizen, American Indian Cards, etc and other varieties of "evidence" for everyone else.  So, again, you normals all go ahead and provide normal proof.  But, for the others they have special rules, special exemptions.  Talk about a two-tier society!  That's what we have here - one set of rules for normal, legally present, law-abiding citizens, and another set of rules for everyone else.

Look what they call Secondary Evidence...

B. Secondary Evidence

If the applicant cannot present one of the documents listed above, the following may be relied upon to establish US citizenship or nationality:

1. Religious records recorded in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, within three months after birth showing that the birth occurred in such jurisdiction and the date of the birth or the individual's age at the time the record was made.

2. Evidence of Civil Service Employment by the US Government before June 1,1976;

3. Early school records (preferably from the first school) showing the date of admission to the school, the child's date and place of birth and the names' and places of birth of the parents;

4. Census record showing name, US citizenship or a US place of birth or age of applicant;

5. Adoption Finalization Papers showing the childs name and place of birth in one of the 50 states, DC, or US territories or where the adoption is not finalized and the State or other jurisdiction listed above in which the child was born will not release a birth certificate prior to final adoption, a statement from a state-approved adoption agency showing the child's name and place of birth in one of such jurisdictions ( NOTE: the source of the information must be an original birth certificate and must be indicated in the statement); o

6. Any other documents that establish a US place of birth or in some way indicates US citizenship.

ANY other document?  indicates in some way?? Religious recoreds?  They used to mean something in this country but now I have zero doubt that any unscrupulous fool can establish a "church" and start selling fake records.  Number 3 above is ridiculous since anyone here, legal or illegal, can get admitted to public schools.

and look, they don't even bother to give Section C a name!

C. If an individual is unable to present any of the above documents the following options are available:

1. Accept a written declaration, made under penalty of perjury, and possibly subject to later verification of status, from one or more third parties, indicating a reasonable basis for personal knowledge that the applicant is a US citizen or non-citizen national.

2. Accept the applicant's written declaration, made under penalty of perjury and possibly subject to later verification of status that he or she is a US citizen or non-citizen national.

Note: These options (C 1 and C 2) should be used with caution in appropriate circumstances. For example, before using these options a provider might require the applicant to demonstrate why a document evidencing that he or she is a US citizen or non-citizen national does not exist or cannot be readily obtained.

Right.  As if an illegal alien would be concerned about "under penalty of perjury".  By definition they are criminals the instant they entered this country or overstayed legal permission to be here.