An immigration bill set for swift approval in the House of Representatives would require all US employers to use a government database to verify that their employees are not illegal immigrants.

Republican sponsors of the proposal acknowledge that it would impose new responsibilities on business but argue it is a necessary step to eliminate the "job magnet" that they say attracts illegal immigrants. But business representatives reject any implication that they are to blame for illegal immigration and worry that the requirement would overwhelm the system used to check employees' legal status.