ICE NEWS-Krispy Kreme fined after I-9 audit

CINCINNATI - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Butler County Sheriff's Office announced today a $40,000 fine settlement reached with the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation for violations of immigration laws.
ICE conducted an I-9 inspection of Krispy Kreme after receiving information from the Butler County Sheriff's Office which revealed the company had employed dozens of illegal aliens at one of their doughnut factories in Cincinnati.
Employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This form requires employers to review and record the individual's identity document(s) and determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and related to the individual.
"Employers have a responsibility to hire men and women who are authorized to work in the United States and fines are an important component of ensuring their compliance," said Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Michigan and Ohio. "ICE will use the legal tools at its disposal to address those who neglect or falter in their corporate responsibilities."
The audit also revealed violations to the Immigration and Nationality Act. In September 2007, ICE issued a notice of Intent to Fine. The fine was settled Friday.
As part of the settlement, the company has taken measures to revise its immigration compliance program, and has agreed to begin implementing new procedures to prevent future violations of federal immigration laws.
In April, ICE implemented a new, comprehensive strategy to reduce the demand for illegal employment and protect employment opportunities for the nation's lawful workforce. Under this strategy, ICE is focusing its resources on the auditing and investigation of employers suspected of cultivating illegal workplaces by knowingly employing illegal workers. Last week, ICE announced as part of this initiative, 652 businesses around the country would be audited to determine their compliance.
As we have informed our clients in the past and on an ongoing basis, the implementation and use of an immigration compliance plan is of great assistance in negotiating and mitigation of fines with ICE. It is my guess that the fine of $40,000 was very low because the company took an aggressive approach to compliance and showed good faith to ICE in implementing this plan. Stay tuned for more stories as I-9 audits become more commonplace.

652 businesses nationwide being served with audit notices.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is launching a bold, new audit initiative today by issuing Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to 652 businesses nationwide - which is more than ICE issued throughout all of last fiscal year. The notices alert business owners that ICE will be inspecting their hiring records to determine whether or not they are complying with employment eligibility verification laws and regulations.

Immigration Reform!

Is it a false start (again) or are we really off to the races? Senator Schumer seems to have announced the starting point of this year's immigration reform debate. In an article in the Washington Post, Senator Schumer has outlined what he sees as the template for immigration reform. Spencer Hsu, of Washington Post reports that Schumer sees immigration reform:
"requiring that an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants register with the government and "submit to a rigorous process to convert to legal status" or face immediate deportation. [The][l]egislation must also create mechanisms to attract high-skilled immigrants, control the flow of low-skilled immigrants and protect native-born workers."
Senator Schumer is calling for a National ID card (something to displease everyone):
"Schumer's proposal for a national 'biometric' identification system to verify work documents -- based on fingerprints, iris scans or digital photographs -- stems from a key weakness of past immigration overhaul efforts . . . " and omits a temporary worker visa program.
These issues were key points for the overall package of immigration reform that were discussed in a meeting at the White House between President Obama and numerous key Senators and Congressman the other day. We will continue to keep our readership apprised of any new developments in the immigration reform arena. For more information, please feel free to e-mail us at info@visaserve.co m. You can also call us at 201- 670-0006 (x107).