March 2, 2010
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is issuing Notices of Inspection to 180 businesses in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee to review hiring records, including I-9 Forms, for compliance with federal immigration and employment laws. The names and locations of the businesses will not be disclosed. ICE did not indicate whether Notices of Inspections would be issued to businesses in other states in the future; however, we expect it is possible.
ICE is the largest investigative agency in the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for enforcing immigration laws. The establishment of an I-9 inspection program is part of the agency’s strategy to deter and reduce unauthorized employment, a key initiative implemented by ICE in 2009.
