Article courtesy Kushner & Co.
The current Administration has indicated that the number of Form I-9 employment verification audits will significantly increase in 2018. What does this mean for you?
Deputy Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Thomas D. Homan announced in October 2017 that the agency plans to increase worksite investigations of employers by “four or five times” this year. Homan indicated that ICE intends to refocus on eliminating the “magnet” of US jobs, which is considered by many to be the driving force in illegal immigration.
You need to know that all US employers are subject to an ICE audit of workers’ employment eligibility at any time. It doesn’t matter if you’re a large employer with multiple locations across the country, or a small business with only one location, it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure I-9 compliance for all its employees.
Those employers who are found out of compliance could face very large civil fines as well as criminal penalties. They could also lose their business licenses, and/or be denied the ability to win government contracts.
Editor’s Note: SBAM recently partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to offer a free webinar for members on proper employment verification purposes. Click here to view it.