Immigration

5 common I-9 mistakes

03/02/2010

It is remarkable that a seemingly simple, one-page form—the Form I-9—can cause so many headaches. But who ever said a government form was easy, much less an immigration-related form. Here are the most common mistakes employers make.

Pilgrim’s Pride settles ICE investigation for $4.5 million

03/01/2010

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., one of the nation’s largest poultry processors, has agreed to settle with the government following a two-year Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation into allegations that hundreds of its employees were unauthorized to work in the United States.

E-Verify now legal in Illinois … if employers play by new rules

02/16/2010

Illinois’ long-standing mistrust of the federal government’s E-Verify employment eligibility verification program has now been codified into a new law meant to make sure the online system can’t be used to harm workers. Employers that use E-Verify must now complete the Illinois Department of Labor’s “E-Verify Employer Attestation Form.”

Firm skids on ICE, eventually collides with EEOC

02/09/2010

Things started out rocky last November for American Building Maintenance (ABM), a nationwide janitorial services conglomerate, when ICE agents busted it for employing 1,200 undocumented workers. Bad turned to worse in January when the EEOC filed a complaint against ABM, alleging race discrimination against black workers hired last fall through a nonprofit Minneapolis employment agency called Emerge.

Employers facing new version of I-9, increased enforcement

01/14/2010

Since 2009, employers in the United States have been required to use a revised version of the I-9 form. Plus, the federal agency that enforces workplace immigration laws has become much more aggressive in targeting employers. Here are the details, plus a Q&A from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) …

To what extent can we use electronic systems to store I-9s and other personnel documents?

12/23/2009

Q. I understand that I-9 forms can now be stored electronically. To save on office space and filing time, our department is considering scanning and electronically filing all personnel files and documents. Is this OK?

This winter’s forecast: ICE

12/09/2009

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be conducting I-9 audits of employers performing work on “critical infrastructure” over the winter months. About 1,000 employers—mainly in defense- and law enforcement-related industries—are being targeted for the audits. The new audit crackdown may be a sign of things to come.

ICE cracks down on employers that hire illegals

11/24/2009

The feds are turning up the heat on employers that shortcut employment eligibility verification laws, targeting 1,000 companies nationwide. Will you be one of them? You can help ensure you’re compliant by checking out our webinar CD Immigration Compliance Update 2009: I-9s, E-Verify, Crackdowns and the ‘Obama Effect’.

Employment eligibility update: E-Verify in, no-match rule out

11/24/2009

In August 2009, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed regulation that would rescind the “no-match rule” that for years has been the centerpiece of the government’s effort to enforce laws banning employment of illegal immigrants. The no-match rule made employers responsible for resolving discrepancies when employees presented mismatched Social Security numbers on employment eligibility verification Form I-9. DHS wants to rescind the no-match rule in order to emphasize its E-Verify program …

Napolitano: Work site enforcement, border security connected

11/02/2009

Work site enforcement efforts directly support the Department of Homeland Security’s border security measures, Secretary Janet Napolitano said at a recent border-security conference. She said keeping illegal immigrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border depends on making sure employers don’t hire undocumented workers …