Trump Administration increases work place enforcement

The Trump administration is increasing work place enforcement fourfold. Acting Director of ICE, Thomas Homan, confirmed as much in a speech at the Heritage Foundation. Homan reported:

• ICE has already increased the number of inspections and worksite operations.
• A further significant increase in these activities is planned for the next fiscal year.
• The time spent on enforcement will rise by four or five times.
• ICE will not only prosecute employers who hire illegal workers, but also detain and remove illegal workers.

Here is a link to Director Homan’s speech: https://goo.gl/wyvArn U.S. employers need to be prepared for increased worksite investigations and strict scrutiny of visa petitions and applications. Further, the potential fines employers face for employment and paperwork violations have been drastically increased. Most significant is the increase in the range for fines for mistakes or omissions on Form I-9. These penalties increased by 96 percent to $216 – $2,156! Another priority area for enforcement will be unfair immigration employment practices and H-1B and H-2B program violations. Employers should be prepared for greater scrutiny of their compliance programs and higher fines if their worksites are investigated.

Smith Knudson can help employers save tens of thousands of dollars in fines and penalties by reviewing your employment paperwork and helping employers set up systems that compliant with current regulations and help ensure future compliance. Contact us today.