United States: ICE Boosts I-9 Audit Efforts in Several States
United States: ICE Boosts I-9 Audit Efforts in Several States
Over the past week, Fragomen has learned that numerous employers throughout the United States have recently received notices of I-9 inspection from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE). ICE officials have not been able to confirm that these audits are the result of a nationwide initiative akin to the programs that resulted in the 652 and 1,000 audits announced last July and November respectively. However, ICE did issue a press release yesterday announcing that its Special Agent-in-Charge in New Orleans had issued 180 audit notices to employers in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. In fact, the reports received by Fragomen suggest that increased audit efforts are occurring in far more than just these five states.
Even in the absence of any specific nationwide initiative, the growing number of audits is consistent with the Department of Homeland Security’s focus on strict enforcement of the employment eligibility verification laws against employers. It is more important than ever for employers to be proactive in ensuring strict compliance with the I-9 program and other immigration-related requirements, as it is always preferable for an employer to discover and correct errors during a self-audit than to wait for the government to find violations.
If you have any questions concerning ICE’s recent efforts to audit I-9s or about any other issue related to maintaining a legal workforce, please contact the Fragomen profession with whom you work, or email your question to compliance@fragomen.com.
Source: Fragomen
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