Form I-9 Audits Soared in Fiscal 2018 – Be Ready for More of the Same!
In 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) will continue to focus on the use of Form I-9 audits and civil fines to encourage employers’ compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), along with criminal prosecution of employers who knowingly violate IRCA.
Last year ICE I-9 audits increased by 340 percent, resulting in 779 criminal arrests of employers; 1,525 administrative arrests of unauthorized employees; and more than $10.2 million in judicial fines, forfeitures, and restitutions. While most employers do not intentionally falsify Forms I-9 or knowingly accept fraudulent documents from employees, employers’ honest mistakes related to Forms I9 can be costly. Civil fines, perform with one or more mistakes, range from $216 to $2,156. Thus, the same mistake made on each form could increase the fine exponentially. Moreover, do not forget that the U.S. Department of Justice Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) also conducts Form I-9 audits to ensure that businesses are not engaging in citizenship discrimination.
Employers should protect their businesses by ensuring Form I-9 compliance programs are in place, up-to-date, and followed. For instance, employers should confirm they are using the current form, which has an August 31, 2019 expiration date, and properly following the instructions. Take care to avoid common Form I-9 mistakes, such as an employee’s failure to sign or date the form or the employer’s failure to complete Section 2 by the third business day after the date the employee begins employment. For guidance from ICE regarding Form I-9, visit “I-9 Central” or review ICE’s list of Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
Also, employers should conduct routine Form I-9 internal audits and properly remedy identified errors in order to be legally compliant and to help avoid liability should ICE or IER select your company for an inspection. See Guidance for Employers Conducting Internal Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 Audits.
In the next couple of weeks, part II of this post will address the ICE inspection process.