The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Nov. 19 announced it has served Notices of Inspection to 1,000 employers associated with critical infrastructure alerting them that ICE will audit their hiring records. The purpose of the audit is to determine compliance with employment eligibility verification laws.
The businesses served with notices were selected based on investigative leads, intelligence gathering and their connection to public safety and national security.
This round of audits is similar to the 652 audits ICE began in July and will involve a comprehensive review of businesses’ Form I-9s. I-9 forms require employers to review and record identity and work eligibility documents for each employee. The audits may result in civil penalties and lay the groundwork for criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly violate the law.
In April, DHS issued updated worksite enforcement guidance emphasizing ICE’s major enforcement priorities. Since implementing the new ICE worksite enforcement strategy on April 30, 45 businesses and 47 individuals have been debarred and 142 Notices of Intent to Fine totaling $15,865,181 have been filed. In 2008, 32 notices totaling $2,355,330 were issued and no businesses and only one individual were debarred.
To read ICE’s news release, click
here.