On May 26, 2010, the Hilton Naples signed an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to participate in the voluntary IMAGE program. This is the first company in the city of Naples, Florida to sign up for the IMAGE program. IMAGE, or ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers, is a government initiative designed to improve employer self-compliance. Employers participating in IMAGE must submit first to a Form I-9 audit by ICE and verify all of their employees' social security numbers through the Social Security Number Verification System (SSNVS). Employers are also obligated to  sign up for E-Verify, conduct I-9 audits semiannually using a neutral party, ensure that only trained employees complete Form I-9 and use E-Verify, set protocols for responding to no-match letters, and much more. Employers using E-Verify must sign a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU which requires them to allow ICE (DHS) and SSA or their authorized agents or designees to "make periodic visits" to the employer.

IMAGE is NOT a “safe harbor” for employers. ICE has not indicated that IMAGE “partners” will not be subject to enforcement actions. Moreover, E-Verify participants have been subject to worksite enforcement actions. Given ICE’s inspection powers under IMAGE an employer should seriously consider the consequences of implementing these practices.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Copyright 2010 American Health Lawyers Association, Washington, DC.
Reprint permission granted.
Further reprint requests should be directed to
American Health Lawyers Association
1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 833-1100
For more information on Health Lawyers content, visit: http://www.healthlawyers.org.

Hector A. Chichoni, Esquire

Robert S. Groban, Jr., Esquire

Frederick Warren Strasser, Esquire

Epstein Becker & Green PC

New York, NY, and Miami, FL

Introduction

As the current debate over healthcare reform has dominated the headlines, the business of running America’s healthcare institutions has never been more challenging. Healthcare executives are being forced to navigate their institutions through the most difficult economic and regulatory environment in recent history. In this article, we hope to ease that management burden by identifying an area of regulatory exposure—immigration compliance and worksite enforcement—that many healthcare executives may overlook as they struggle to address all of their other operational needs. The additional regulatory exposure from inadequate immigration compliance becomes even more critical when you consider the healthcare workforce’s sheer size. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) identifies the healthcare industry as the country’s largest employer, accounting for more than fourteen million jobs annually.1 The DOL also estimates that the healthcare industry will add another three million new jobs from 2006-2016, more than any other industry. Managing a diverse healthcare workforce has never been simple given the unique way in which most hospitals and other healthcare institutions function. Unions, medical practices within hospitals, independent contractors, and third-party contractors can be found in nearly every large healthcare organization, along with a complex matrix of professional, quasi-professional, and non-professional employees that must be recruited, trained, and managed in a manner that comports not only with labor and employment laws, but also with regulatory requirements, licensing, and union agreements. Amid this vortex of legal obligations, it is easy to overlook the increasingly important legal responsibility of Form I-9 compliance. 2 As recent actions by the administrations former President George Bush and President Barack Obama demonstrate, however, the failure to address immigration compliance can have serious civil and criminal consequences to the organization, as well as its employees and senior management.

IRCA and Worksite Enforcement

When Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA),3 it made it unlawful for employers to hire or retain undocumented workers and established a process, the Form I-9 process, that required employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all workers hired on or after November 6, 1986.4 In the twenty years following IRCA’s enactment, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and, later, its successor, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), targeted egregious violators and deported illegal workers— but levied few significant civil or criminal penalties against employers. When larger organizations were involved, the fines tended to be so minimal that they were not really considered a “serious” compliance issue. The regulatory calculus surrounding worksite enforcement changed radically following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. This precipitated creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and led to substantially increased funding for worksite enforcement and border security. 5 Later, the Bush Administration’s support for comprehensive immigration reform created such a hostile public environment against undocumented workers that worksite enforcement, coupled with enhanced border security, were seen as essential prerequisites to any meaningful dialogue on how to fix the country’s broken immigration system. The result was an unprecedented number of public enforcement actions by the Bush Administration that focused primarily on rounding up illegal workers, not penalizing their employers. 6 The Obama Administration has pursued a different approach toward worksite enforcement and expanded its efforts beyond Form I-9 compliance to include H-1B fraud, 7 wage and hour complaints, compliance with the Public Access File requirements of the H-1B program,8 overall immigration fraud, and other areas where legal immigration and employment issues may intersect. As DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano noted, “DHS is focused on smart, tough and effective enforcement of the laws we currently have.” 9

The Vulnerability of Healthcare Employers to Worksite Enforcement Actions

The healthcare industry is not immune from regulatory scrutiny. Given the size and diversity of its workforce and increased union activity, the likelihood that healthcare employers will become targets for worksite enforcement actions seems apparent. This means that healthcare organizations need to identify the critical components of immigration compliance and then develop and incorporate more vigorous policies and procedures into their overall risk management program. Form I-9 completion and retention is the primary legal responsibility for most employers. Healthcare employers should have a uniform written policy for Form I-9 completion using only the form’s latest edition. 10 Such a policy is important to ensure that the organization not only confirms that all new employees are authorized to work, but also avoids discrimination claims that can arise when different Form I-9 completion procedures are used. 11 Under IRCA, an organization must retain its Form I-9 documentation for at least three years or one year following the employee’s termination—whichever is longer—and must make these forms available for inspection if requested by the DOL, DHS, or U.S. Office of the Special Counsel. An employer’s failure to properly complete and retain a Form I-9 provides the same basis for serious civil or criminal liability as if the form was never completed at all.

Under IRCA, an employer cannot use the Form I-9 process to screen candidates for employment. If a healthcare employer does not want to hire foreign nationals who require immigration sponsorship or have limited employment authorization, should it develop an employment application and interview process that will identify these candidates from the outset. 12 It should also implement an immigration employment policy which, among other things, defines the circumstances in which it will sponsor foreign nationals, if any. This policy should also make clear that the organization’s immigration sponsorship does not waive its employment at-will policies, guarantee success, or prohibit the organization from withdrawing its sponsorship for any reason or no reason at all. Such explicit language is particularly important in light of a decision like the Tenth Circuit’s ruling in DerKevorkian v. Lionbridge Technologies, Inc., 13 which held that an employer may have a fiduciary obligation to sponsor a foreign national in the absence of a specific policy. Proper completion of the Form I-9 process does not end an employer’s legal responsibility. Under IRCA, an employer who acquires “actual or constructive knowledge” that an employee does not have employment authorization can be subject to civil or criminal penalties. Such actual or constructive knowledge can arise in a variety of circumstances. For example, an employer would have reason to question the status of an employee who claims to be a permanent resident on his Form I-9—but then asks his manager for immigration sponsorship. Similarly, an organization that has information from a background check that contradicts the status claimed in the Form I-9 would also have constructive knowledge that the employee might be undocumented. Another common situation that might support a finding of constructive knowledge is the employer’s receipt of a “no-match” letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Prior to 2007, the SSA sent these letters to notify employers that the names and Social Security numbers (SSN) of certain employees did not match what the SSA had in its system. To ICE, an employer who fails to resolve this discrepancy has constructive knowledge that the subject employee(s) might be undocumented. 14 To the SSA, by contrast, these letters are simply correction requests issued to reduce the suspense fund and properly credit tax payments to the right employee. In this regard, the SSA neither has the authority to penalize employers that supply incorrect SSN information nor those that fail to respond to a no-match letter. While the SSA cannot share its no-match information with DHS under current law, the SSA can provide no-match information to the Internal Revenue Service, which does have the authority to investigate, audit, and ultimately fine the employer. 15 In 2007, the Bush Administration published a “safe harbor” rule that purported to establish a government-sanctioned procedure that employers could follow if they received a no-match letter. Those that followed this rule would receive safe harbor from criminal prosecution and protections against having constructive knowledge that an employee was not authorized to work. The rule was quickly challenged in federal court, which enjoined its implementation. 16 As part of this challenge, the SSA also voluntarily halted the issuance of new no-match letters until the litigation had concluded. On October 7, 2009, DHS rescinded its controversial no-match rule.17 ICE, however, still considers an employer’s receipt of and failure to address a no-match letter to be evidence of the knowing employment of an undocumented worker. With the rescission of the safe harbor rule, healthcare employers should be ready to receive new no-match letters from the SSA. Thus, they should have a policy in place for handling them as part of their overall immigration risk management practices. Of course, any employer who concludes that an employee does not have employment authorization must terminate that employee.

State Immigration Laws: The New Frontier

The failure of comprehensive immigration reform in August 2007 left the impression that the federal government was politically unable to deal with America’s immigration issues. Moreover, this legislative paralysis occurred as the 2008 presidential campaign was heating up and aspiring contenders lined up to demonstrate political toughness by proposing more rigorous measures addressing unlawful immigration. Colorado, the home of 2008 presidential candidate Representative Tom Tancredo (R), passed the first state legislation, which became effective on January 1, 2007. This law required all employers to sign a state affidavit verifying that their employees had work authorization and mandated that all state contractors use E-Verify, the federal government’s employment verification system. 18 Arizona, the home of Senator John McCain, the eventual Republican candidate for president, and former Arizona Governor and now DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano (D), promptly followed Colorado’s lead when it enacted even more stringent legislation in July 2007.19 Effective January 1, 2008, this law not only made it illegal to knowingly hire an undocumented worker, it also required all Arizona employers to utilize E-Verify or risk loss of their business license. 20 Colorado and Arizona initiated a growing trend of state legislation directed at the employment of undocumented workers. The June 2009 report of the National Council of State Legislatures found that forty-four states had passed 144 laws and 115 resolutions affecting foreign nationals and immigration. 21 While some see this as a positive step in controlling unauthorized employment, it has become a nightmare for employers who now must deal with a dizzying patchwork of federal and state laws and often conflicting compliance requirements. For larger healthcare organizations operating in multi-state arenas and varying jurisdictions, it simply ups the ante on ensuring compliance not only with federal immigration laws—but also with whatever laws now are imposed by individual states.

Immigration Risk Management: Best Practices

While the Obama Administration has shifted away from controversial worksite raids, it has made it clear that it intends to hold employers accountable for immigration law compliance. To emphasize this point, ICE issued more than 650 Notices of Inspection in July 2009 to employers in a wide range of industries suspected of Form I-9 and other serious worksite violations. 22 As the pressure for comprehensive immigration reform builds, the key to a more unified approach, especially in this difficult economy, remains strong worksite enforcement that penalizes employers who violate the law and employ undocumented workers. As a result, it is critically important for all employers in the healthcare industry to re-double their efforts and adopt policies that promote legal compliance and facilitate risk management. Healthcare employers looking for “best practices” may find assistance in the DHS’ ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program. 23 Originally proposed in 2007, the IMAGE program has not attracted a large number of registrants, in large part because of its burdensome requirements. However, IMAGE does offer a set of “best hiring practices” that can serve as a model for developing policies and procedures that will better prevent potential worksite violations. 24 Not all best practices may be realistic for every employer. Nevertheless, the list provides a useful reference for organizations seeking to enhance their compliance efforts. It thus makes sense to review them in some detail.

E-Verify

ICE recommends that employers use the E-Verify program for all new hires. E-Verify allows registered users to better confirm the identity and employment authorization of new employees by running selected Form I-9 information through the DHS and SSA databases. Under federal law, it is a voluntary program, except for certain vendors who receive solicitations or contract awards under the Federal Acquisition Regulations. 25 Several states, however, require either employers or state contractors to use E-Verify.26 Based on recent pronouncements, it is clear that the Obama Administration is considering support for legislation that mandates that employers use E-Verify as a means of facilitating comprehensive immigration reform. Thus, employers in the healthcare industry should take a careful look at E-Verify so that they will be prepared to implement it in 2010 if necessary.

Form I-9 Training

ICE recommends that employers train all employees involved in the Form I-9 process and ensure that only trained employees participate in this process. The training should include the Form I-9 completion process, detection of fraudulent documents, and any other topics that relate to an employer’s particular circumstances.

ICE also recommends that employers provide annual updates on this training.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On July 23, 2009, a bipartisan group in the House and Senate reintroduced “The Secure America Through Verification and Enforcement Act” (“SAVE”), which would require employers to use E-Verify to ensure that their workers are authorized to work in the country. This SAVE legislation is largely the same as the bill first introduced in Congress on November 6, 2007.  According to its sponsors, the SAVE is designed to reduce illegal immigration by gradually phasing in the use of E-Verify and increasing border security with additional border patrol agents and new technology and infrastructure.

The SAVE legislation would phase in the mandatory use of E-Verify by employers over a four year period, starting with the federal government, federal contractors, and employers with more than 250 employees. Smaller businesses would be required to begin using the E-Verify system in a graduated manner. While passage now is uncertain, the reintroduction of the SAVE legislation reflects the public’s growing desire that employers hire and maintain only a documented workforce. Considered in this context, and examined against all the states that have passed legislation requiring the use of E-Verify, employers would be well advised now to become familiar with E-Verify so they can readily incorporate it into their operations when it becomes mandatory at the federal level.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On September 3, Hector A. Chichoni will be teaching the webinar Employers Targeted in Immigration Crackdown: How to Audit Policies Before ICE Does. 

Hector has counseled employers on the proper use of the new I-9, work site enforcement, "no-match" problems, and compliance with state and federal immigration laws

Thursday, September 3, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern
10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Central
9:00 to 10:30 a.m. Mountain
8:00 to 9:30 a.m. Pacific

On July 1, 2009, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed hundreds of U.S. businesses that agents would be auditing their I-9s and other hiring records. And just this April, the Obama administration issued new guidelines for ICE agents to change the enforcement focus to employers.

Learn what action you can take NOW to keep ICE from targeting your organization and your first course of action if your company is audited by participating in the all-new HR Hero audio conference, Employers Targeted in Immigration Crackdown: How to Audit Policies Before ICE Does.

Hector A. Chichoni will show you the specific red flags agents are looking for in ICE audits, as well as:

The tell-tale signs ICE may be targeting your organization
Your first recourse if enforcement agents arrive on site
The potential consequences when ICE agents audit your records
Typical fines and other actions immigration enforcement agents are taking against violators
Your legal options if fines are levied against your organization
Your first course of action if you have workers who can’t prove they’re authorized to work in the United States
How ICE's new audit strategy could impact whether E-Verify becomes mandatory for all employers
What employers can expect from future immigration compliance and enforcement initiatives
What every employer needs to know about immigration reform efforts

All receiving this information will be entitled to a 20% discount on the audio conference. To receive the discounted rate, you will need to call HR Hero customer service department at 800-274-6774 and mention code M899.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On Wednesday, July 8, 2009, the Senate approved several amendments dealing with immigration enforcement and benefits which were not included in the 2010 homeland security appropriations bill (H.R. 2892) passed previously by the House. An amendment introduced by Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Ala) dealing with E-Verify was passed by a voice vote after a motion by Sen. Schumer (D-NY) to table it was rejected 44 to 53. Sen. Sessions’ amendment is extremely important because it could make the voluntary E-Verify program, in its present form, permanent and mandatory for all federal contractors beginning September 8, 2009.

The final federal contractor’s rule, which extends the use of E-Verify to covered federal contractors and subcontractors, including those who receive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, came as a result of Executive Order 12989. The rule was originally scheduled for roll-out last January 15, 2009, but had to be postponed because of a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland challenging the legality of the rule.

The version of the bill passed previously by the House on June 24^th would extend the E-Verify program for only two years. Thus, the existing differences between the amended version passed by the Senate and the House bill will have to be reconciled and a final version will need to be agreed upon in conference before changes can take effect.

Secretary Napolitano announced early on July 8^th the department’s intention to rescind the controversial No-Match Rule in favor of the “more modern and effective” E-Verify. In a surprising but decisive response, the Senate also adopted an amendment from Senator David Vitter (R-LA) that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) from using any Fiscal Year 2010 appropriated funds to rescind the No-Match Rule.

Sen. Schumer, who led the effort to table Sen. Session’s amendment, stated that declarations made earlier by DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano that the Administration would support a regulation that requires employers to use E-Verify in order to be awarded federal contracts had rendered the amendment “moot.”

However, the real reason for Sen. Schumer’s opposition is that the present administration wants to enact immigration compliance laws that target employers and, Republicans, now the minority in the Senate, want to enact immigration compliance laws targeting employees. But in a surprising move, supported by a few Democrat senators, all amendments dealing with immigration enforcement offered by Republicans were approved.

More concerning for employers, however, is the apparent administration’s pursuance of a more capable and technologically advanced version of E-Verify. Sen. Schumer has stated repeatedly that E-Verify does not “go far enough” and made clear in several occasions that he favors a hi-tech employment verification system which employs biometric identifiers such as fingerprints, eye scans, and more. Similarly, Secretary Napolitano, who believes E-Verify is a “smart, simple and effective tool” has also made clear, in agreement with Sen. Schumer that “we need to continue to work to improve E-Verify, and we will.”

These declaration not only indicate that the Obama administration and key democratic leaders in Congress share the view that immigration compliance should target employers, but also, as it would appear, through the use of an “improved” or, in other words, a more capable and technologically advanced E-Verify that could include not only biometric identifiers, but also information sharing capabilities linked to other governmental agencies. 

The possibility of an “improved” version of E-Verify does not seem far-fetched when considered in light of present existing Memorandums of Understanding between governmental agencies which already allows for information sharing, past joint raids, and an appropriations bill which provides for $5.4 billion to fund DHS’s employment verification activities.

Further, such “improved” E-Verify, despite the potential tremendous governmental invasion into the workings of private institutions, could give the Obama administration a serious “footing” in dealing with millions of illegal immigrants, which can be “politically” cashed at a later time. 

So far it is unclear what immediate effects the Sessions and Vitter amendments would have if enacted. Both the federal contractor and No-Match Rules are currently suspended due to ongoing litigation.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On July 2, 2009, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) launched a new and bold initiative to audit companies by issuing Notices of Inspection (“NOIs”) to 652 businesses nationwide.

ICE has stated these “audits are not random” and that the businesses were identified based on “leads and information obtained through other investigative means.” These notices are the government’s first step in what could be the beginning of a very lengthy investigation. ICE officers plan to review the I-9 forms and identification documents of all 652 companies. ICE has also stated that those with significant numbers of undocumented workers may be fined. And, if agents believe the businesses “knowingly hired” illegal immigrants or find “a pattern of egregious violations” criminal investigations could be launched. Pat Reilly, ICE’s spokesperson, said that ICE would not “release the names or locations of the businesses that are being audited because of the ongoing investigations” and that the targeted businesses “represent a broad range of industries.”

However, it has been reported that ICE notified 80 companies in California, including three in Los Angeles, which ICE plans to fine because they employ large numbers of people who do not appear to be authorized to work in the U.S. ICE agents had conducted audits on these companies’ records earlier, and in many cases determined that the Social Security numbers listed for employees either did not exist or did not belong to the employees specified.Targeted companies also include businesses in New York, San Antonio, Seattle, and San Diego. ICE has also sent audit notices to 32 companies in Arizona. For a long time the government has been seeking new ways to impose E-Verify on all US employers. I believe the strategy behind these notices is to paint a picture of rampant immigration violations so, come September 2009, Congress will make E-Verify mandatory for every employer. For as much as the government loves E-Verify, it will never be a substitute for immigration reform or stop illegal immigration.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

One of my articles,  Immigration Enforcement Under Napolitano: A 180 Degree Shift To Employers, was recently published by ILW.  I am reproducing it here in its entirety for your perusal: 

"President Obama made it clear that his immigration plan, among other things, was to "remove incentives to enter illegally." However, the Obama administration has not provided any details as to how is going to accomplish this portion of its plan. This has not only created a good amount of speculation, but also a good deal of frustration among U.S. employers. Yet, in spite of lacking details, the Obama administration has sent out "immigration signals" and U.S. employers should be prepared.

The most important of these immigration signals, perhaps, was Secretary Napolitano's appointment as head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The appointment reveals some of the most basic immigration strategies of the administration's plan. This is not only part of a well calculated move, but, as it would appear, the foundational step necessary to set President Obama's immigration plan in motion.

Secretary Napolitano is considered a smart and demanding attorney with an intense work habit and a quick grasp for bureaucratic detail. A twice elected Governor of Arizona and a former Attorney General and U.S. attorney, she is not only a pragmatist who signed the toughest state immigration law in the nation, but also a politician with clear enforcement views. She is one of the most experienced state executives in the nation in the immigration arena and one of the very few high ranking democrats qualified, should one be enacted, to handle a comprehensive immigration reform loaded with compliance and enforcement requirements.

She has repeatedly called for a "technology-driven border control" and the penalizing of employers hiring undocumented workers.

Secretary Napolitano has indicated that her approach, in terms of immigration raids, will be to closely watch the design of the operations and that the focus will be on "unscrupulous employers" rather than on undocumented workers. She has also stated that raids will continue where undocumented workers are present and that she expects to increase the focus on ensuring that employers "of unlawful workers are prosecuted for their violations."

Moreover, Napolitano has pledged to increase the focus on criminal punishment for employer violators and to encourage them to work with federal immigration agents to "establish sound compliance programs that prevent unlawful hiring." She also aims to continue boosting manpower on the borders and the use of technology. At the same time, she has stated that her full intention is to enforce these methods in a fair manner across borders, ensuring that the law is applied. This, of course, represents a 180 degree shift from the Bush administration's approach to immigration enforcement, which sought to penalize undocumented workers, rather than prosecute employers.

In short, comprehensive immigration reform, whether in piece-meal or in one whole act, will be enacted. Employers will continue to be raided, but enforcement actions are likely to conform to those prescribed under immigration law rather than the "DEA-type" actions with all their inefficiencies and social negative effects seen under the Bush administration. Under Secretary Napolitano, possibly in association with other governmental agencies (i.e. IRS, USDOL, SSA, etc.), the number of government audits and the so called ICE "inspections" will continue and, possibly, increase. Investigations conducted by the FDNS (Office of Fraud Detection and National Security) to detect, deter, and combat immigration benefit fraud to strengthen USCIS' goals and efforts will also increase. Technology based programs such as E-verify will rule and many could become mandatory for all U.S. employers. Immigration attorneys will be well served by advising their corporate clients to put their immigration compliance (i.e. I-9, public access and audit files, etc.) houses in order."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

President Obama made it clear that his immigration plan was to “bring people out of the shadows, improve our immigration system, create secure borders, remove incentives to enter illegally and honor our immigrant troops.” However, the Obama administration has not provided any details as to how it is going to accomplish this plan. This has not only created a good amount of speculation, but also a good deal of frustration among U.S. employers. Yet, in spite of lacking details, the Obama has sent out “immigration signals” and employers should be prepared to feel the effects.

The most important of these immigration signals was Secretary Napolitano’s appointment as head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The appointment reveals some of the most basic immigration strategies of the administration’s plan. This is not only part of a well calculated move, but the foundational step necessary to set President Obama’s immigration plan in motion.

Secretary Napolitano is considered a smart and demanding attorney with an intense work habit and a quick grasp for bureaucratic detail. A twice elected Governor of Arizona and a former Attorney General and U.S. attorney, she is not only a pragmatist who signed the toughest state immigration law in the nation, but also a politician with strong enforcement views. She is one of the most experienced state executives in the nation with immigration and one of the very few qualified to handle a massive immigration reform loaded with compliance and enforcement requirements.

She has repeatedly called for a “technology-driven border control” and the penalizing of employers hiring undocumented workers.

Secretary Napolitano indicated that her approach, in terms of immigration raids, will be to closely watch the design of the operations and that the focus will be on “unscrupulous employers” rather than on undocumented workers. She also stated that raids will continue where undocumented workers are present and that she expects to increase the focus on ensuring that employers “of unlawful workers are prosecuted for their violations.” Moreover, Napolitano pledged to increase the focus on criminal punishment for employer violators and to encourage them to work with federal immigration agents to “establish sound compliance programs that prevent unlawful hiring.” She also aims to continue boosting manpower on the borders and focusing on technology, such as ground sensors. At the same time, it is her full intention to enforce these methods in a fair manner across borders, ensuring that the law is applied.

This represents a 180 degree shift from the Bush administration’s approach to immigration enforcement, which sought to penalize undocumented workers, rather than prosecuting employers under the theory that actual convictions were hard to get.

In short, immigration reform, whether in piece-meal or in one whole swap, will be enacted in 2009 or 2010. Employers will continue to be raided, but enforcement actions are likely to conform to those prescribed under immigration law rather than the “hyper-criminalized” actions conducted under the Bush administration with their inefficiencies and social negative effects.

Under Secretary Napolitano, DHS, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and possibly in association with other governmental agencies (i.e. IRS, USDOL, SSA, etc.), the number of government audits and the so called “inspections” will escalate. Technology based programs such as E-verify will rule and could become mandatory for every employer in the U.S. Wise employers will be served well by putting their immigration compliance (i.e. I-9, public access and audit files, etc.) houses in order.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

A provision in the $787 billion stimulus bill that would have required employers receiving federal stimulus money to use E-verify was dropped from the bill. This move is a victory for employers in the construction business receiving assistance from the stimulus bill.

A representative from the American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”) recently stated that E-Verify is "flawed" as an employment authorization verification system and that forcing employers to use it would have held Americans "hostage to bad government data and even worse government database systems."

Also eliminated from the final conference report is a provision that extended the E-Verify program beyond March 6, 2009, when it is set to expire. It is expected, however, that E-verify or a similar program could be established permanently by the Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) sometime before the end of this year.
 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I am reproducing in its entirety the following article, I think you should read it:

"ICE Enlists Companies to Stem Illegal Hirings - Firms Sign On for Self-policing; Critics Wonder If It Could Be a Trap By SUSAN CARROLL Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle, Sept. 9, 2008, 10:52PM

With high-profile workplace immigration raids making news across the country, many employers might not seem eager to sit face-to-face with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and open up their books for scrutiny. But Betsy Kippenhan, an executive with a Houston-based staffing firm, seemed downright excited about it, speaking fondly of the "ICE advocate" who will be helping the company, Talent Tree, verify its worker eligibility through an ICE program called "IMAGE."

"We wanted to make sure they were going to look at us and give us the stamp of approval, which is what they've done," said Kippenhan on Tuesday after formally signing up for ICE's self-policing program for employers. But some immigration attorneys and labor advocates warned that IMAGE could be a legal trap for employers who haven't been vigilant examining workers I-9 forms, which establish eligibility to work in the U.S. In exchange for free education and training, companies participating in IMAGE (Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers) agree to meet certain requirements, including using the federal government's Internet-based employment verification system and checking workers' Social Security numbers. Employers also must agree to an ICE audit of workers' employment paperwork and promise to self-report any violations of hiring law.

Membership growing
ICE spokeswoman Pat Reilly said the program started small in January 2007 with only nine members. On Tuesday it added 26 members and 11 associate members, a category created in June to give employers two years to get their paperwork in order before submitting to an ICE audit or producing an annual report. The membership rolls range from small businesses like the Bellaire-based construction company All American Brothers, to big names in government contracting, like General Dynamics. Smithfield Foods Inc., which employs more than 57,000 people worldwide, also is an associate member. Reilly said some employers expressed an interest in the program after "someone else in their industry was the subject of a worksite enforcement" raid. ICE has stepped up its worksite enforcement in recent months, reporting 3,900 arrests for immigration violations and more than 1,000 criminal arrests from worksite enforcement investigations in the past 10 months. According to ICE, 116 owners, managers, supervisors or human resources employees, were facing criminal charges in connection with on-the-job raids, including harboring or knowingly hiring undocumented workers.

'A poor image'
For some companies, Reilly said, the program is "brand protection, and an insurance against 'headline risk'. You don't want your brand bandied about as somebody who doesn't comply with the law because then you lose clients' confidence." Kathleen Walker, an El Paso attorney and executive committee member with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said IMAGE "has a poor image" and has attracted few participants. "I think it's a mirage," Walker said. "Employers can put themselves into a trap signing up for IMAGE." Charles Foster, a Houston immigration attorney with Tindall & Foster, urged employers to use caution before signing up for the program, particularly if "their house is not in order." "On the surface, there is nothing wrong with it," he said. "But there are concerns that employers should be aware of. You're effectively inviting the government to review all of your employment verification forms. That could produce significant civil and criminal liability."

'Not a trap'
Foster and Walker pointed to a raid of the Swift & Co. meatpacking plants in December 2006 in Texas as an example of what can go wrong with private partnerships with ICE. Swift had voluntarily participated in the government's electronic employment verification system for more than a decade before the raids, which resulted in more than 1,200 arrests at six meatpacking plants. Reilly said E-Verify is a "free, easy-to-use tool," but is not a stand-alone solution to detecting undocumented workers. She said hiring practices at Swift plants showed a pattern of blatant illegal behavior. Reilly said IMAGE is "not a trap," pledging that ICE will work with businesses that participate in the program. "When we look at their records ... and patterns that might indicate an illegal workforce, we're not going to say, 'You have to come into compliance by tomorrow.' " Reilly said. "But what we are going to look for is if there is any illegal activity going on in their workplace, we're going to ask them to take care of that first, like stolen identities and flagrant fraudulent documents." Hector Diaz, the president of All American Brothers Company based in Bellaire, called the program "the wave of the future." He signed up as an associate member on Tuesday, and completed his first day of IMAGE training in Arlington, Va., saying the program has become an necessity for his roughly 20-employee construction company, which works exclusively on government contracts. "I think it's going to be a requirement for federal contract work," said Diaz, whose recent projects included work at Ellington Field and NASA. "You can't be working on a government contract and have an illegal alien."

Reassuring clients
Ruth McCurdy, vice president for corporate connections for Talent Tree, which employs 35,000 temporary associates and about 250 staff members nationwide, said one of the main goals is to reassure clients that workers placed with their companies by the staffing firm are eligible to work in the U.S. "There are companies out there that employ illegal aliens and put them in companies, and that puts a lot of people at risk," McCurdy said. "When you are working with a third party for your workforce, you need to know you have a partner that has people who have passed the eligibility requirements."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On August 8, 2008, USCIS issued a statement informing the public that the new U.S. Passport Card may be used in the Employment Eligibility Verification form (I-9) process. USCIS also stated that "...last month, the Departments of State and Homeland Security announced that the new passport card was in full production. The new card provides a less expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book, and will expedite document processing at United States land and sea ports-of-entry for U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. While the new card is more limited in its uses for international travel (e.g., it may not be used for international air travel), it is a valid passport that attests to the U.S. citizenship and identity of the bearer. Accordingly, the card may be used for the Form I-9 process and can also be accepted by employers participating in the E-Verify program." USCIS states that the passport card is considered a “List A” document that may be presented by newly hired employees during the employment eligibility verification process to show work authorized status. “List A” documents are those used by employees to prove both identity and work authorization when completing the Form I-9.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On July 31, 2008, the House approved "H.R. 6633" to extend E-Verify, the federal government's electronic employment verification system, by five years. In spite of the many signs previously given by U.S. Representatives approved without amendment, HR 6633 or the Employee Verification Act of 2008, 407-2.

The legislation was introduced by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), would amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to extend the life of the voluntary program five years to Oct. 31, 2013. U.S. representatives initially supported legislation to scrap E-Verify in favor of a new mandatory verification system, but according  Giffords, she introduced a five-year extension to make time for more study of the current system. Further, Giffords told lawmakers during House floor remarks that "within five years or less, the federal government must develop a mandatory system that operates uniformly across all 50 states." Technically, the bill would authorize two Government Accountability Office studies about aspects of E-Verify. The first study would examine erroneous tentative nonconfirmations under E-Verify, specifically focusing on the causes of erroneous tentative nonconfirmations, processes to remedy errors, and the impact of such errors on individuals, employers, and federal agencies. The second study would analyze the effect of E-Verify on small businesses and other small entities using the program. That study would focus on the cost to small entities of complying with E-Verify, an estimate of the number of small businesses participating in E-Verify, an analysis of compliance requirements such as reporting and recordkeeping, and steps DHS can take to minimize the economic impact of participating in E-Verify. 

I agree with SHRM that E-Verify is not a long-term solution.  A "temporary extension" in order to allow additional time to design a fair and effective employment verification system is a workable proposition for employees and employers alike. The bill now moves to the Senate, which is in recess until Sept. 8, 2008.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On July 7, 2008, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt signed a bill, effective January 1, 2009, requiring employers contracting or receiving grants from the state in excess of $5,000  to use E-Verify.  Missouri joins a growing number of states that, in the absence of a federal comprehensive immigration reform act, have chosen to regulate the employment of illegal workers. The Missouri bill shares similarities to other bills enacted in states such as: Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, and Utah. However, this bill goes further by requiring employers with state-administered tax credits, tax abatement, or state-administered loans to also use E-verify. The bill also gives Missouri's Attorney General the authority to enforce the act.  Missouri's Attorney General may now demand: 1) employers to provide identification information on their employees; 2) employers to provide identification documents within 15 business days of receiving such a request.  Failing to abide by the request could result in the suspension of a company's applicable local licenses, permits, and exemptions until the documents are supplied, 3) employers to classify its employees correctly (i.e. knowingly classifying an employee as an independent contractor when he/she is not carries fines ranging from $50 to $50,000.)  A contractor will not be liable for the unauthorized employment of an illegal alien if a subcontractor employing the individual provides a sworn affidavit that the employee is authorized to work in the US. Missouri's law does not substitute the federal requirement to complete Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Today we received the new employment verification From I-9, edition date 06/16/08. Be aware that no previous edition of the same form will be accepted. Please, also note there are several important changes made to the Form I-9 process:

• Five documents have been removed from List A of the List of Acceptable Documents: Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561), Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570), Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151), Unexpired Reentry Permit (Form I-327), Unexpired Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571);
• One document was added to List A of the List of Acceptable Documents: Unexpired Employment Authorization Document (I-766);
• All Employment Authorization Documents with photographs have been consolidated as one item on List A: I-688, I-688A, I-688B, I-766;
• Instructions regarding Section 1 of the Form I-9 now indicate that the employee is not obliged to provide his or her Social Security number in Section 1 of the Form I-9, unless he or she is employed by an employer who participates in E-Verify;
• Employers may now sign and retain Forms I-9 electronically. See instructions on page 2 of the Form I-9.

All employers in Florida should switch to the new form ASAP and used moving forward regardless of any time line provided by the government.  This Will avoid any confusion later on.  The new Form I-9 can be downloaded by clicking here.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

In its report of June 2008, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that while E-Verify may help employers detect fraudulent documents (and I would say indirectly), it cannot fully address the use of legitimate documents.  This issue can only be fully addressed by individuals owning those documents. The GAO also points out that E-Verify is vulnerable to employer misuse and even, fraud. 

Given our adversarial system many employers worry that firing an employee based on what could turn out to be an E-verify error could still land them a discrimination charge under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). IRCA prohibits discrimination when hiring and firing based on the basis of citizenship status or national origin.  Such discrimination could result from firing an individual based on lack of employment authorization when the individual is in reality authorized. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On June 4, 2008, Mark Sanford, governor of South Carolina signed into law an omnibus immigration bill (HR 4400), which requires employers to verify the identity of employees with either a South Carolina driver's license or through E-verify.  This bill also denies non-emergency medical care for undocumented adult immigrants by state funded clinics and hospitals. One important issues is that because federal law requires that care be given without discrimination, local healthcare providers will be facing a significant challenge in following the law. In recognition of this challenge, perhaps, no state agency is tasked with enforcing the new restrictions. Further, the new law goes on to prohibit undocumented immigrants from attending public institutions of higher education or receiving state funded scholarships. One particular and concerning issue is that the chief of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is mandated to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the federal government (ICE) regarding enforcement of federal immigration law. The new law also also allows for law enforcement personnel to be deputized and trained for these duties. According to AILA, the bill contains similar language to Oklahoma's Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007 (H.B. 1804). 

In the mean time, South Carolina's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation has established a Web site to assist employers comply with the new immigration law. But the new law mandates the Labor Department to investigate complaints against companies who are hiring illegal immigrants. According to the new law, South Carolina's Labor Department is also responsible for randomly auditing businesses to verify employees’ legal status. Businesses with 100 or more employees must comply by July1, 2009 and all other businesses must follow the law by July 1, 2010. The new Web site is www.llr.state.sc.us/immigration. Georgia also has a similar law.  Is Florida next?

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On June 24, 2008, The House Appropriations Committee approved a U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding bill for $39.9 billion.  However, the bill also rejects an amendment to extend the federal electronic employment verification program or E-Verify.

The approved bill carries an increase of $2.2 billion from that of 2008. The amendment submitted by Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) extending the E-Verify program did not have enough votes at the committee level to pass. Without the extension, E-Verify is scheduled to expire November 30, 2008.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On June 9, the White House announced that President Bush had signed on June 6 an Executive Order (“the Order”) amending Executive Order 12989. The Order, an aggressive move to keep illegal immigrants out of the US workforce, requires contractors and others doing business with the federal government to use E-Verify (formerly known as the Basic Pilot or Employment Eligibility Verification Program). E-Verify is an electronic employment verification system run by DHS in partnership with the Social Security Administration, which permits participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of newly hired employees. E-Verify is voluntary for private companies, but mandatory for government agencies. The Order, which will also apply to new hires initially, in time, will affect millions of workers working for federal contractors nationwide. 

One of the problems with the Order requirements is that E-verify has shown some critical flaws even when operating in a relatively small environment.  E-Verify is also problematic from a business perspective because errors in the Social Security database can lead to flagging legal residents and citizens.  The June 10th's issue of the LA Times states that "Chertoff said E-Verify cleared 99.5% of qualified employees automatically. But in 2006 the Social Security inspector general found discrepancies in 17.8 million records for citizens and legal immigrants that would create a "significant workload" to correct. Lawmakers and other critics warned that forcing the more than 200,000 federal contractors to join E-Verify could overwhelm the Social Security Administration and create havoc for legal workers. 'As the administration requires more employers and workers to move into E-Verify, it should at the same time ensure that the system does not impinge upon U.S. citizens' fundamental right to earn a living,' said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose), head of the House subcommittee on immigration. Firms doing business with the government risk losing their contracts if they break federal rules. Some business executives worry the new requirement could add expenses. 'There's concern about increased costs and delays in hiring brought about by inaccuracies in the database,' said Neal J. Couture, executive director of the National Contract Managers Assn. Timothy D. Sparapani of the American Civil Liberties Union argued that E-Verify was 'not real immigration enforcement' because the system could not detect applicants who used documents stolen from legal workers. He predicted the system would prompt more identity theft by illegal immigrants.' 'American workers' identities are essentially going to become a black market commodity,' Sparapani said."

The Order states that the basis for requiring government contractors to use E-Verify is that the “Order is designed to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement. Stability and dependability are important elements of economy and efficiency. A contractor whose workforce is less stable will be less likely to produce goods and services economically and efficiently than a contractor whose workforce is more stable.”  I find the government’s statement suspicious because the government, although it has failed time and time again, has tried on repeated occassions to push legislation or regulations that would impose a mandatory electronic employment verification program on all US employers. Further, the Order is presented as being designed to promote "economy and efficiency" along with "stability and dependability," but the reality is that there is nothing economic, efficient, stable or dependable about skilled and unskilled jobs that cannot be filled because there are not enough American workers readily available to work. 

Interestingly, employers in the health care business using the Medicare program, janitorial services providing services to courts, universities getting federal student loans for its students or grants for some of its projects and programs, companies in the defense industry, and even contractors serving food in cafeterias in any government agency will be considered government contractors and will have to comply with this order.

The government in its zeal for security and enforcement is failing to consider the true economic impact these measures will have on employers and consumers. Enforcing this type of order in the absence of immigration reform which could provide employers with helpful avenues could doom - against contrary government opinion - many efficient employers.  I am not sure how the government is going to enforce this Order, but for us in Florida enforcing these measures could have a long lasting negative effect.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks (1)
• Share Link