Employers should take note of the President’s recently released proposed fiscal year 2019 budget as it points to increased attention on I-9 compliance issues. The proposed budget allocates funding for a Universal E-Verify system and highlights a proposed increase of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) worksite enforcement among other immigration reform measures.
Fiscal Year 2019 Proposed Budget highlights include:
- $23 million to expand the E-Verify Program for mandatory nationwide use, to assist businesses with ensuring they employ only those authorized to work in the United States
- ICE would see a nearly 30 percent uptick from $6.4 billion enacted in fiscal 2017 to $8.3 billion requested for fiscal 2019, according to a fact sheet on the border security budget proposal
- Both ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) would see increases to hiring: ICE would get $571 million for 2,000 new agents, while CBP is requesting $211 million to hire and support 750 new Border Patrol agents
- Additionally, ICE is requesting an additional $208 million to hire 300 new special agents to focus on worksite enforcement investigations, human trafficking cases and immigration fraud
- ICE is also asking for $2.5 billion to detain 47,000 immigrants each day, a sharp increase over current funding levels, which allow the agency to hold 39,324 individuals
The Senate is currently debating immigration reform and the Secure and Succeed Act includes language to permanently reauthorize E-Verify.
All indications continue to point to a Universal E-Verify program that would mandate E-Verify in all states and jurisdictions nationwide. Employers should check that their I-9 processes are meeting current E-Verify mandates and start planning for any adaptations required to meet future proposed regulations.
The Equifax I-9 Management solution simply and seamlessly integrates with E-Verify to help keep employers in compliance while reducing administrative burden. See how our technology can help make E-Verify easy and sign-up for a demo of our I-9 Management solution today.
The post Universal E-Verify Mandate Included in President’s Proposed Budget appeared first on Equifax Insights Blog.