Worksite Inspections Increase – I-9 Compliance Enforcement

ICE is committed to establishing a meaningful I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law,” John Morton, Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, said in a statement. “This nationwide effort is a first step in ICE’s longterm strategy to address and deter illegal employment.”

In an e-mail to Congress on Wednesday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced it has begun notifying businesses of plans to audit their Forms I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, that all employers must complete for every worker they hire. Employers are required to keep the Form I-9 and must check the authenticity of documents provided by the employee at the time of hire. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration officers served 652 “Notices of Inspection” to businesses. Companies were chosen for inspections based on leads and other investigative work, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.

Employers should be aware that this is just the beginning. ICE is fully funded to increase the number of work site inspections and is committed to this type of enforcement. Many employers believe that they don’t need to worry because they do not employ immigrant workers. These employers do not fully understand that the law requires full I-9 compliance regardless of a worker’s immigration status and for most employers who are inspected by ICE the fines and penalties they suffer come from clerical and procedural errors concerning completion of the Form I-9- not from having hired unauthorized workers.

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