ICE Increases I-9 Audits
Looking for A Specific Post? Search Below
The Trump Administration has adopted a “putting American workers first” slogan as a centerpiece of this presidency. To confirm the President’s words, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a press release on July 24, 2018, describing the second phase of a nationwide operation to crack down on hiring unauthorized workers.
In short, the Homeland Security Investigations division (HIS) has sent over 5,200 Notice of Inspections since October 2017. Furthermore, HSI has made 675 criminal and almost 1,000 administrative worksite-related arrests. This enforcement should serve as a warning to employers that they must take I-9 compliance seriously.
Violations Will Cost You
Employers who take a slack approach to I-9 compliance are in for a shock when HSI comes knocking. You can be fined $559 per employee for hiring or employing an unauthorized worker knowingly. If you are a repeat offender, then your fines can be as high as $22,363.
Employers can also receive sanctions for paperwork violations, which can range from $224 to $2236 per violation. Other punishments include penalties, additional fines, and forfeitures. If you are a government contractor, you can be debarred from federal contracts in the future.
How to Respond to an Audit
Let’s say an auditor or ICE agent shows up at your company headquarters with a Notice of Inspection (NOI). What now?
Obviously, it is too late to get your books in order and start being strict with compliance. You should know that you have three days to respond to the NOI. For good reason, you can get an extension, but you should not expect it.
Most audits will focus on the I-9 of current employees, but the agent can request the I-9 also for terminated employees. The NOI should also contain a subpoena with additional document requests for things like:
- E-Verify information
- A list of current employees
- Payroll records
- Quarterly wage and hour reports
- Information about your business, such as your EIN
- List of subcontractors
If you use an electronic I-9 system, then you might need to provide additional information.
Take Audits Seriously
One mistake some business owners make is not taking the NOI seriously because they are a small business and doubt that the government is truly interested in their I-9 compliance. Nothing could be further from the truth. The government agent is at your doorstep for a reason. The penalties for noncompliance are so severe, that you should immediately swing into action.
After notifying management about the NOI, you should immediately retain counsel. Make sure to hire an immigration attorney who has experience with compliance issues and internal audits. It can take quite a bit of time to collect all required information, and you do not need a lawyer who needs time to get up to speed on what is required.
If you have received an NOI, do not panic. The immigration audit attorneys at Kriezelman Burton & Associates are here to help. Our Chicago I-9 compliance lawyers are prepared to help you meet your obligations, and we can also discuss post-audit issues so that your company will stay out of the government’s radar now and well into the future.
Co Mówią Nasi Klienci
Ocena 5 gwiazdek | Na podstawie 200+ pozytywnych opinii na Google
We sincerely thank the entire team for the professionalism, responsiveness, patience, and dedication shown throughout our case. From our very first visit, Justin reassured us that everything would be all right. Thank you, Khiabett, for your expertise, professionalism, and calm guidance before and during the interview, which greatly reduced our stress and gave us confidence. We also deeply appreciate Kamila's hard work, patience, and responsiveness throughout the process. For sorting…
I would like to sincerely thank Attorney Justin Burton and PL Kamila Lada for support with my adjustment of status case. I have been working with the firm for over a year now, and I have received nothing short of exceptional services and support throughout various cases for myself and family members. Highly recommend consulting and retaining this firm.
We have been in the dark with our case for over 2 decades, while working with other big firms who just kept me in the dark and sat on our case without making any effort to move it forward until I met the wonderful team at Kriezelman & Burton. AO and JP are truly God-sent angels who with their knowledge, collaboration, sense of direction and outside the box thinking, managed…
Highly recommend attorney Kevin Raica and attorney Agata Bigdanowicz. They were super helpful, responded on time, and won my case in record time. It took about a month and half in total for me to get my approval after filing!
Brittni Rivera and her team (Carina Lopez) are fantastic! They are responsive, efficient and beyond compassionate. Brittni Rivera and her team treated me with dignity and respect as they patiently answered all of my questions. They didn't move on without making sure I understood each step. Their work ethic was impressive. It felt like they were an extension of my personal team. I can't say enough to convey my gratitude…
Our experience with the firm was extraordinary. We worked with attorney Andrea Ochoa. Since the very first meeting we met, Andrea gave us all the confidence to proceed with our case. She always answered our questions shortly and offered clear guidelines to proceed. When my son's case received a notice of intent to deny, she planned how to fight that decision effectively. We totally recommend everyone to trust their case…
I just want to say huge thank you to Mr. Kevin A. Raica. for everything he has done for me throughout my immigration case. When I first came to Kevin, he explained the SIJS process clearly and walked me through the steps. We first needed to get the guardianship court order before moving forward with the I-360, and he connected me with a trusted attorney to help with that part.…
I cannot find the words to express my gratitude to Brittni Rivera! She literally saved my family. We had been waiting seven years for what she accomplished in just three weeks. I was impressed by how accessible the office is—they always answer calls very quickly. A special thank you to paralegal Nataliia Melnyk. You are my heroes. Thank you.
Thank you all, I found this group to be a great service. Thank you all, blessings to you. especially Khiabett
We are incredibly grateful for the help and support we received from this office. From the very beginning, they understood the urgency of our situation and treated our case with real care, professionalism, and speed. They were extremely responsive, clear, and compassionate throughout the entire process. They moved quickly when timing was critical, kept us informed, and helped us navigate a very stressful immigration situation with confidence. Thanks to their…
Schedule a consultation!:
Umów się na konsultację!
Libertyville
Reklama prawnika. Informacje te mają wyłącznie charakter ogólny. Przedstawionych informacji nie należy interpretować jako formalnej porady prawnej ani tworzenia relacji prawnik/klient. Wcześniejsze wyniki i referencje nie stanowią gwarancji, rękojmi ani przewidywania wyniku Twojej sprawy i nie powinny być w ten sposób interpretowane. Wyniki z przeszłości nie mogą zagwarantować przyszłych wyników. Jakikolwiek wynik w pojedynczej sprawie nie ma na celu stworzenia oczekiwań podobnych wyników w przyszłych sprawach, ponieważ każdy przypadek wiąże się z wieloma różnymi czynnikami, dlatego też wyniki będą się różnić w każdym przypadku. Podając dane kontaktowe, użytkownicy potwierdzają i wyrażają wyraźną zgodę na kontakt za pośrednictwem udostępnionych metod komunikacji, w tym wiadomości SMS. Mogą obowiązywać stawki za wiadomości i transmisję danych. Częstotliwość wiadomości może się różnić. Odpowiedz STOP, aby zrezygnować.
NUVEW | Prawo autorskie 2026 Wszelkie prawa zastrzeżone | Informacja o dostępności | polityka prywatności