While DHS/ICE continues to issue Notices of Intent to Fine (NOFs) at an unprecedented rate for Form I-9 related infractions, this is yet another reminder that you can choose to pay the fine or you can contest the fine and file for a  hearing (within 30 days of receipt of the NOF) before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) who handles cases related to employer sanctions, document fraud and unfair immigration-related employment practices.  OCAHO has more than proven that they are willing to reassess and lower fees in just about every case in recent months.

Note that many employer sanctions cases never proceed to the hearing stage because either the parties reach a settlement with the approval of the ALJ, or the ALJ resolves a case through a prehearing ruling.

We recommend that your first step in the process be to retain experienced representation that specializes in the practice area of employer compliance to guide you step by step through the process – don’t attempt to go this alone. The next step is to understand the process that has been summarized very efficiently in the recent Fact Sheet that we refer to here

Should you have any questions or wish to become a client of our office, please contact us or refer to our services & solutions page.

Infosys is India’s second largest software exporter, and has about 30,000 workers in the U.S. (160,000 worldwide) with $6B in sales.

After years of investigation, it was found that Infosys “knowingly and unlawfully” brought Indian workers into the United States on B-1 business visitor visas( since 2008), to circumvent  the higher costs and delays of a longer-term employment-related visa, such as the H-1B visa that the workers should have had.  It was found that Infosys systematically submitted misleading information to US immigration authorities and consular officials to obtain the B-1 visas that do not permit employment, unfairly gaining a competitive edge and undercutting American workers qualified for the jobs

Press release states: “Infosys failed to maintain I-9 records for many of its foreign nationals in the United States in 2010 and 2011 as required by law, including a widespread failure to update and re-verify the employment authorization status of a large percentage of its foreign national employees…more than 80 percent of Infosys’s I-9 forms for 2010 and 2011 contained substantive violations.”

The largest fine of its kind, was paid out as follows: $5 million to Homeland Security Investigations, $5 million to the Department of State, and $24 million to the DOJ.

How can employers protect themselves?

The five federal agencies charged with workplace enforcement are not only going after businesses that are known to employ undocumented workers, but they are also making examples out of industry leaders across the country creating headline news. It goes without saying, that this is now a topic that should be on HR executives’ action list.  Turning a blind eye can be exceedingly costly and cause great damage to a company’s reputation.

For more on this Story:  CBS Reports   NY Times

For more on our services and solutions

We have written many articles over the years on what happens when ICE serves an employer with a Notice of Inspection (NOI); see below for links to our articles and resources.  Today, ICE released a new Fact Sheet that referrences the  IRCA law in the 1st paragraph, and then summarizes the order in which an ICE administrative inspection proceeds, the types of notices that are issued following an I-9 ICE audit, how fines are determined based upon knowingly hiring and continuing to employ violations, to substantive and uncorrected techical violations, and how these fines and penalties are calculated.

The penalties for ignoring the legal requirements of the I-9 process can be quite severe, even in cases of unintentional omissions and uncorrected I-9 mistakes. Civil penalties for such errors may range from $110 to $1,100 for each effected employee. A business with thousands of employees and multiple worksites may face a significant financial burden in noncompliance penalties. The fines may be further increased if ICE determines that an employer knowingly hired unauthorized foreign nationals, and can range from $375 to $16,000 per violation with repeat offenders on the high end. Employers and their representatives convicted of having engaged in a pattern or practice of knowingly hiring unauthorized foreign nationals, may also face criminal charges and fines of up to $3,000 per employee and/or six months’ imprisonment. Other federal criminal statues may provide higher penalties in certain fraud cases.

Employers and individuals who commit citizenship status or national origin discrimination may be ordered to pay civil fines and attorneys’ fees. The penalties range from $375 to $3,200 for the first offense for each individual discriminated against; from $3,200 to $6,500 for the second offense; and for subsequent offenses, not less than $4,300 and not more than $16,000 for each person effected.

The trend toward increased scrutiny of immigration employment practices will likely continue in the foreseeable future. With immigration reform still uncertain, ICE continues to step up enforcement activities with a deluge of NOI’s to employers every few months.  These recent developments have made it even more critical that employers maintain a strong immigration compliance profile.  Employers can no longer afford to think that because they don’t hire foreign nationals, they don’t have any I-9 issues or need to comply with I-9 immigration regulations.

The key to I-9 compliance for most organizations starts with a thorough self-examination of existing paper I-9’s, E-Verify submissions (if applicable), standard operating procedures, and past practices. While there are many checklists and do-it-yourself guides, free webinars and Podcasts available on the Internet and elsewhere, consulting an experienced immigration consultant or attorney in the practice area can save employers hours of research, provide a solution tailored to your organization and save you thousands of dollars in fines and penalties.

You should strongly consider an independent I-9 audit if…

1. You’ve had a turnover in the HR position(s) charged with the responsibility of handling and processing I-9 Forms
2. None of the staff charged with the I-9 process has been formally trained
3. You already know that you have I-9 document violations, errors and unintentional mistakes
4. You have recently gone through a corporate reorganization, merger or acquisition
5. You know you have an on-boarding process that is complex, such as multiple jobsite locations where the I-9 process takes place
6. When you haven’t documented your I-9 Form policies and procedures in a policy statement or procedures manual
7. If you have a large volume of foreign worker I-9 forms
8. If you do not have a calendar system for re-verification or terminated employee retention
9. If you do not have a centralized I-9 recordkeeping process
10. If you are photocopying documents presented during the I-9 process for some and not for others
11. You participate in government contracts and have been asked to perform an I-9 audit
12. You have not performed a random or full audit within the last year by either an internal individual who is familiar with I-9 compliance rules but does not deal with I-9s on a regular basis, or by a reputable independent I-9 auditor.
13. You’ve never performed a self-audit or had any outside provider perform an I-9 audit
14. You do not know how to make corrections to the I-9 form
15. You’ve received SSA No Match Letters
16. Your industry is being targeted by ICE
17. You’re unaware that a new I-9 form was released and do not have a process in place for staying current with regulations and procedures

Immigration Compliance Group regularly represents clients from all industries to develop effective I-9 policies and compliance programs.  By establishing and maintaining effective corporate policies and procedures, many of the above-mentioned warning signs can be addressed proactively in an audit before the government does one for you.

New ICE Fact Sheet

I-9Audit.com – Our Employer Resource Center Articles

As 2012 winds down, with year-end planning sessions and budget meetings for 2013, how would you rate your company’s employment eligibility compliance program, as it stands right now?  We are not in the bubble bursting business, but we’ve yet to see a compliance program that doesn’t need some upgrading and refinement – no one’s is perfect.

According to new data from ICE, since 2007, employer I-9 audits have increased from 250 to more than 3,000 in 2012.  From fiscal years 2009 to 2012, the total amount of fines grew to nearly $13 million from $1 million.  Statistics released by ICE in July 2012 stated that overall, $87.9 Million in fines have been imposed on employers for violations. The number of company managers arrested has increased to 238.  Widespread employer audits will continue to increase this year.  Plain and simple, failing to comply with IRCA’s I-9 rules will continue at a rapid rate, resulting in significant fines, loss of access to government contracts, an onslaught of negative publicity, business closure, criminal penalties and imprisonment.

With all the advice, blogs and articles written about the most complicated 1-page form on the planet, there are some basics – a simple formula that, if implemented, followed and maintained, will greatly enhance your level of I-9 compliance and reflect your company’s genuine desire to get its compliance house in order.  This is what we recommend:

• Invest in a comprehensive I-9 audit by a knowledgeable attorney or professional who actually practices in this area of the law.  Don’t engage in a self-audit without participating in a thorough training program first.  This will cause more harm than good; it’s like the blind leading the blind.
• Following the audit and the review of your report of findings, get trained before the correction process begins.  Who should be trained?  All those who have hands-on exposure to the I-9 process at all of your organization’s locations…and all those who supervise the process and staff.  Make training and reading the M-274 Employer Manual absolute requirements for those assigned to I-9 processing and management.
• Establish a written Compliance Policy.  This does not need to be a huge undertaking, but should reflect your company policy concerning the steps you’ve taken to assure a compliant workforce and a culture of compliance at your organization.  It will be your road map and reflects that you take compliance seriously.  ICE will request this document, amongst many others, should they ever come knocking on your door.
• Appoint a Compliance Guru – one who has a senior level of knowledge, who will monitor your internal compliance program, review your I-9 forms every few months for accuracy and completeness, provide updates and arrange for refresher training on a yearly basis.
• Consult with a trusted professional in the field when questions or challenges arise – don’t guess.

Remember, the key to defending any employment related investigation is to evidence that there is and has been a consistent pattern of responsible, good faith effort on the part of the employer in establishing a compliant workforce.  Stay informed, subscribe to our Blog, newsletter, and join in the conversation on our LinkedIn Group I-9/E-Verify: Smart Solutions for Employers.  Check out our compliance services and solutions here, and make a concerted effort this year to increase your level of compliance by following the above formula.

This employer really crossed the line in continuing to employ unauthorized workers AFTER an ICE audit of their I-9 records commenced, and failed to produce I-9 records for them on 3 previous occasions while transferring them to other jobsite locations.

Here’s the story….  The charges against the owner and Production Manager, Yoel A. Wazana, Wazana Brothers International, Inc., based in Van Nuys, CA, doing business under the name Micro Solutions Enterprises (MSE), are the result of an investigation into MSE’s hiring practices that was initiated by HSI in 2007. According to court documents, shortly after MSE received notification in April 2007 that HSI planned to audit the company’s payroll and hiring records, Wazana directed that about 80 of MSE’s most experienced employees – at least 53 of whom did not have work authorization – be relocated to another manufacturing facility. When investigators requested hiring records from MSE on three separate occasions, the company failed to provide paperwork for those unauthorized workers. The plea agreements filed in this case also describe how, after learning of the ICE audit, Wazana conducted meetings with MSE’s assembly line workers, instructing them to obtain valid work authorization documents and return with those documents, suggesting that he did not care if the documents were actually theirs.

In February 2008, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at MSE’s Van Nuys plant. During the enforcement operation, special agents arrested eight current and former company workers on criminal charges and another 130 employees on administrative immigration violations.  The felony charge of false representation of a Social Security number carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

MSE has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of continuing employment of unauthorized aliens. In a plea agreement filed last month, the firm admits hiring approximately 55 unauthorized workers, and then continuing to employ them after the ICE audit had begun. The company admits that it knew, or deliberately avoided knowledge of the fact, that the individuals were not authorized to work in the United States.

The company’s plea agreement represents a global settlement of criminal and civil charges against the firm. Under the terms of the plea agreement negotiated by ICE and the United States Attorney’s Office, MSE agreed to pay approximately $267,000 in civil and criminal fines.

Beyond the monetary sanctions, the plea agreement calls for the company to be on probation for three years, during which time it will implement a series of stringent measures to ensure it is complying with the nation’s hiring laws. Those steps include retaining an independent compliance monitor (this is the first time we’ve heard of an ‘independent compliance monitor’ being mentioned) to oversee the completion and maintenance of the firm’s hiring records, and providing training to employees regarding federal hiring laws. The plea agreement takes into account the company’s willingness to take responsibility for its prior criminal conduct and to implement a rigorous program to ensure full compliance with federal hiring laws in the future.

In 2009, HSI implemented a new, comprehensive strategy to reduce the demand for illegal employment and protect employment opportunities for the nation’s lawful workforce. Under this strategy, HSI is focusing its resources on the auditing and investigation of employers suspected of cultivating illegal workplaces by knowingly employing illegal workers. In the last year, HSI has levied a record number of civil and criminal penalties against employers who violate immigration laws.

An employer’s blatant disregard for employment-related immigration law has been proven time and time again in our blog reporting of these cases to be an expensive, painful, reputation damaging and unnecessary path.  Call our office to establish a compliant workforce, 562 612.3996.

By:  Timothy Sutton, Communications Editor

Shortly after ICE began their Form I-9 audit of the San Antonio based sushi chain, Sushi Zushi, an exodus of employees forced the company into a weeklong-statewide shutdown. After an internal announcement by Sushi Zushi management to employees of the routine audit, a wave of scared employees did not return to their jobs on Friday Morning.  A public statement was issued by Sushi Zushi’s public relations spokesperson; Judy McCarter detailing the company’s decision:

STATEMENT FROM SUSHI ZUSHI, Friday, July 27, 2012

Sushi Zushi has temporarily suspended its operations and closed its restaurants in San Antonio, Austin and the DFW Metroplex. We plan to resume operations as soon as possible.

The decision to close the restaurants was made at Sushi Zushi today by executive management due to an unanticipated internal reaction to news of a routine I-9 audit. Several vital employees have chosen not to report to work. This has affected our ability to provide our expected level of service to guests. CEO Alfonso Tomita is returning from travels outside the country.

Sushi Zushi’s policy is to comply with all federal, state and local laws and regulations. And Sushi Zushi has made its best efforts to comply with I-9 requirements always done appropriate due diligence on all its staff. Sushi Zushi is working with legal counsel to respond to the government’s audit.

We wish to be clear – there was no raid by the government on our operations. Nor has any employee  been detained by the government or terminated by the company. Sushi Zushi is responding to a routine I-9 audit. We apologize in advance for the inconvenience and appreciate the patience of our loyal guests while we work through this issue.

Company management immediately posted want ad’s on Craigslist and Facebook. Their customers posted their concerns across social media, including accusations of mismanagement that surfaced on reddit.com. In the midst of this audit meltdown, an employee announced via facebook that he was promoted from delivery driver to sushi chef. With the company’s reputation spinning out of control, their facebook page had posts of former kitchen employees who remarked, “The food won’t be the same without us,” while other employees joked with friends that they had a week-off work to “fill out their I-9 forms.”

Before ICE issues a dollar of fines or fees, Sushi Zushi will suffer hundreds of thousands in loses and devastating harm to their reputation. Sushi Zushi employees fled because they were not educated on the differences between an I-9 audit and deportation raids. Clearly, today’s ICE audits are shaping up to be equally as effective in deterring unlawful employment as raids of the past. To prevent your company from becoming the next Sushi Zushi, contact our immigration professionals for their expert knowledge on Form I-9 compliance, and sign up to receive our information and visit our Employer Resource Center:  www.I-9Audits.com

By: Timothy Sutton, Communications Editor

One of my favorite television shows is Undercover Boss. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, the premise is: a CEO/President takes on a disguise to go undercover within their own business to find ways to (1) become more successful and (2) reward hardworking employees. Obviously, there is an essential element of Hollywood magic that prevents most of us from going “undercover” within our own business; but the lessons learned from this show are no less valuable.

Every episode begins with a slightly troubled, but optimistic executive. They instruct their trusted board of directors that they will be resigning from the company to go undercover as an employee over a week’s time in various lower levels of the company, entry-level to management. The goal is to see their business from a fresh perspective. A series of uncomfortable and often illegal encounters ensue where CEOs face discrimination, harassment and even get fired by their own employees. At the end of the hour-long television program, CEOs reward key employees and have “new and improved tools” to develop successful business practices.

There is a better way for your business to experience the same fresh perspective without shaving your head and slapping on a boar’s hair mustache; it’s called an audit. Yes the feared “audit” is most commonly associated with frightful agencies like the IRS and ICE. Yet, Undercover Boss is simply Hollywood’s version of a voluntary audit. In order to become more successful, discovering discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination within your own business is necessary. The alphabet agencies (ICE, IRS, DOJ, DOL) insist that companies perform annual audits to comply with a multitude of legal formalities. Not only will audits improve business efficiencies and reveal valuable employees, but it will also save your company thousands of dollars for failing a government ICE initiated audit.

The Immigration Compliance Group has years of auditing and consulting experience and a touch of Hollywood magic! Before you invest in your own set of wigs and costumes, contact one of our immigration professionals to discuss I-9 compliance and workforce related issues. Discover how audit prevention and a fresh set of eyes can improve your business.  Contact us for support in planning and implementing legally sound solutions to protect your company’s future:  562 612.3996 | info@immigrationcompliancegroup.com.

Link up with us in our group, I-9/E-Verify:  Smart Solutions for Employers and stay informed:   http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=4137860

By:  Timothy Sutton, Communications Editor

In the USDOJ published decision United States v. Four Seasons Earthworks, ICE made it clear that with respect to form I-9 compliance, late is not any better than never. Four Seasons failed to pass an ICE audit that found incomplete form I-9 List A and List C information. The company asserted they obtained every employee’s social security number and maintained supporting documents (like military IDs and birth certificates) necessary to verify employment eligibility. ICE’s response was terse, “Late production nevertheless does not absolve the respondent from liability.”

Securing qualified employees can be stressful. Once a worthy recruit is hired, employers may be anxious to have the new-hire begin working even before they secure the required documentation to complete the I-9 form. Improper documentation constitutes a violation under the INA. In it’s investigation of Four Seasons Earthworks, the ICE Forensic Auditor calculated penalties based upon the following formula:

 Number of Violations divided by the total number of current & former employees up to inspection date = % of base fine

Additionally, 5% increases for bad-faith or serious violations are tacked on to penalties. The number of undocumented workers, the size of a business, and previous violations are also considerations that increase penalties.

Thankfully, an employer’s good faith attempt to comply with obligations can influence a penalty reduction. ICE views hiring violations on a continuum, recognizing violations vary in severity. If your company finds itself in a similar situation with employees who are not properly documented, hiring immigration compliance professionals may greatly reduce your chances of incurring audit-initiated penalties. Contact us for support in planning and implementing legally sound solutions to protect your company’s future:  562 612.3996 | info@immigrationcompliancegroup.com.

By:  Timothy Sutton, Communications Editor

For the Houston based ABC Professional Tree Service, Inc., firing non-compliant workers and implementing E-Verify was too little too late. Even after implementing E-Verify and firing hundreds of workers following an ICE audit in 2008, the Immigration Customs Enforcement agency of the Department of Homeland Security recently announced reaching a $2,000,000 non-prosecution agreement with ABC. Shockingly, the sum was based upon ICE’s estimation of profits ABC earned through illegal labor practices.

After four years of investigation, ICE did not release how the $2,000,000 figure was reached. However, they did release an estimate that up to 30% of the 2,500 ABC employees were illegally employed. In a press release on May 18, 2012, ICE espoused ABC knowingly employed illegal workers after receiving “no-match letters” from the Social Security Administration. Additionally, on March 4, 2010, two years after the initial audit, ICE seized records from the ABC Birmingham office through a federally issued warrant. Undocumented employees in the Alabama office and working in the field were detained.

Typically Form I-9 violations lead to heavy monetary penalties, but in this case ICE chose to cut a non-prosecutorial deal. It is unclear from the information released whether or not the $2,000,000 sum is more or less than ABC would have faced in fines? But more importantly, businesses like ABC who are subject to years of audits and investigations, despite implementing E-Verify and discharging employees, have little bargaining power. Consequently, the best defense against an ICE audit is total compliance. Employers would be wise to hire a professional consultant to train staff, organize existing documentation and manage future non-compliance issues. The Immigration Compliance Group has the experience and resources necessary to protect your business from an ICE audit.  Contact one of our immigration professionals at info@immigrationcompliancegroup.com or call 562 612.3996.

By:  Timothy Sutton, Communications Editor

HerbCo International Owner Ted Andrews, Vice President David Lykin and General Manager Debra Howard will appear in Court on May 1, 2012, charged with re-hiring nearly two dozen of the 86 workers fired after an I-9 audit by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency back in February of 2011. A HerbCo employee tipped off authorities about the scheme to pay these 20 illegal workers roughly $40,000 in cash, despite being fired for non-conforming I-9 forms and failing to pass E-verify background checks.

During an ICE Audit of 334 I-9 forms, it was found that 214 employees had presented fraudulent documents.  All the employees listed in the social security “no-match letter” who were still employed, 86 of them, were terminated.

Under federal law, an employer is required to verify the identity and work authorization of every employee hired. However, there are limitations on how an employer can legally seek additional verification of documents they suspect to be fraudulent.

The HerbCo executives are expected to receive a year of probation for guilty pleas to their criminal charges. Prosecutors are seeking an additional $1M in fines from HerbCo, sending an obvious message to employers that hire illegal workers.

The US Attorney’s office stated the following regarding the amount of the fine, “Within the worksite universe of either the United States or the State of Washington, the defendants’ conduct appears unremarkable only because of the sheer numbers of other culpable employers who have not been prosecuted for similar conduct. Of 20 million illegal aliens residing in the United States and 230,000 in the State of Washington, 86 were employed at Herbco on April 15, 2011.”

For more information about how to safeguard your business from a costly I-9 audit, contact our firm at info@immigrationcompliancegroup.com or call 562 612.3996.

We  link to more on this, and here also.