Surviving the ICE Storm

Several weeks ago, following an audit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Abercrombie & Fitch was fined more than $1 million for purely technical violations of the I-9 employment verification laws. The audit and fine of this high-profile company is only the latest of a surge in surprise ICE audits of the I-9 records of major corporations, and part of the government’s recent efforts to heavily sanction employers whose immigration compliance programs fail to adequately document the employment eligibility of its workers.

As stated by the ICE agent in charge of the investigation, “Employers are responsible for the internal systems they choose to utilize to manage their employment process and those systems must result in effective compliance…This settlement should serve as a warning to other companies that may not yet take the employment verification process seriously or provide it the attention it warrants.” The government has significant power when it comes to enforcing our immigration laws, and right now it is aggressively pursuing corporate America.