U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has already doubled the number of ongoing worksite cases from fiscal year 2017 to fiscal year 2018, the agency announced on Thursday.
From October to early May, HSI recorded 3,510 worksite investigations, 2,282 I-9 audits, and had made 594 criminal and 610 administrative arrests. In fiscal year 2017, HSI had 1,716 open worksite investigations, 1,360 I-9 audits, and had made 139 criminal and 172 administrative arrests.
“Our worksite enforcement strategy continues to focus on the criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly break the law, and the use of I-9 audits and civil fines to encourage compliance with the law,” Derek Benner, the acting executive associate director for HSI, said. “HSI’s worksite enforcement investigators help combat worker exploitation, illegal wages, child labor and other illegal practices.”
Employers are required to verify the identity and work eligibility of all employees using Employment Eligibility Verification Form 1-9 under the Immigration Reform Control Act (IRCA) of 1986. Tasked with enforcement of IRCA, ICE sends notices to business owners before auditing hiring records. In fiscal year 2017, business owners were forced to pay $97.6 million in judicial forfeitures, fines and restitution, and $7.8 million in civil penalties, for violating employment laws.
“Employers need to understand that the integrity of their employment records is just as important to the federal government as the integrity of their tax files and banking records,” Benner said. “All industries, regardless of size, location and type are expected to comply with the law. Worksite enforcement protects jobs for U.S. citizens and others who are lawfully employed, eliminates unfair competitive advantages for companies that hire an illegal workforce, and strengthen public safety and national security.”