Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly recently issued two memos to the Department of Homeland Security workforce that provide further direction to implement President Trump’s recent executive orders on border security and enforcement of immigration laws. The memos call for 5,000 additional border patrol agents and 10,000 new ICE officials to handle increased enforcement of existing regulations.
The administration’s focus on immigration enforcement is expected to impact employers nationwide. The number of ICE business site inspections and I-9 audits conducted by ICE has increased dramatically in the past decade, and with the new focus on immigration compliance more can be expected¹. The increased focus is likely to put many employers at risk. In fact, on average, 60% – 80% of paper I-9s are either missing, incomplete, or have errors² making historical I-9s one of the biggest potential risk areas for employers.
Finding a way to maintain and audit those historical documents is expected to become more of a priority. Understanding the process of an ICE audit is the first step. An internal, or self-audit, is another proactive step to help get your company’s Forms I-9 in order.
An internal Form I-9 audit should thoughtful, consistent and done annually without bias. There are a number of considerations from both the audit and remediation perspective that need to be included. The Equifax Workforce solutions webinar: Effective Self-Audits: First Steps to Compliance, is designed to help employers with best practices for I-9 compliance and maintenance. Or you can contact Pete Krieshok at pete.krieshok@equifax.com to learn more about how technology can help optimize the management of your company’s Form I-9s.
¹ Congressional Research Service, Immigration-Related Worksite Enforcement:
Performance Measures. June 23, 2015
Congressional Research Service, Immigration-Related Worksite Enforcement:
Performance Measures. June 23, 2015
² Jackson Lewis, P.C.
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