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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the state inspector general’s office are investigating fraudulent residency documents or doctored professional biographies allegedly proffered by hundreds of noncitizens working for New York government agencies.

Those workers are employed by dozens of private information technology companies hired by the state to handle government functions. Because the workers, generally hourly contract employees, aren't directly employed by the state, New York often takes a hands-off approach to vetting them or ensuring they are working here legally.

Indeed, as noted in a report by the Times Union's Brendan J. Lyons, the policies for vetting private consultants appear to vary by state agency, which lack direct access to federal immigration databases that are the only way to check workers'........

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