|
|
|
Written by Carol Clark
|
|
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 |
 Over the past ten months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials have warned twenty-five New Jersey businesses that they will face steep fines if they have not ensured that their employees are eligible to work in the United States. According to ICE officials, the companies face fines of approximately $1.25 million.
The fines are not reserved for companies that knowingly hire unauthorized workers. Rather, the fines are assessed for paperwork violations -- failure to prepare the Form I-9 properly. The Form I-9 is used by employers to verify an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States. Fines for I-9 violations vary from $110 to $1,100 per violation, depending on a number of factors.
The focus on I-9 compliance follows a major shift in ICE enforcement strategy. Under the Bush administration, immigration enforcement typically involved worksite raids where unauthorized workers were rounded up and deported. In April of 2009, ICE announced a major shift in enforcement strategy, now focusing on criminal prosecution of employers. I-9 inspections are a critical tool in ICE’s enforcement efforts.
Employers with effective Immigration Compliance Plans, Policies and Procedures in place do not need to fear an ICE inspection. With an effective program, proper I-9 Administration and annual I-9 audits, employers can be confident that their I-9s are in order.
Find more information on Immigration Compliance Training here. |
