Results 1 to 5 of 5
Like Tree6Likes

Thread: 5,200 I-9 Audits in 2018

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

  1. #1
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    PARADISE (San Diego)
    Posts
    99,040

    5,200 I-9 Audits in 2018

    With Govt Audits on the Rise, Businesses Must Be Prepared


    Charlieaja| Dreamstime.com
    By Larry Bennett Sr.
    Friday, 09 November 2018 06:59 AMCurrent | Bio |


    ​As the government cracks down on businesses and employee record-keeping, being compliant and organized is essential to avoid penalties.

    I-9 audits are on the rise. Between January and July of this year, Homeland Security Investigations served over 5200 Notices of Inspection (NOIs) to businesses across the country — nearly quadruple the number of NOIs issued over that same period in 2017.


    A total of 93 arrests came as a result. With the perpetual immigration debate raging and rise of sanctuary cities throughout the country, crackdowns are only likely to increase, threatening businesses who haven’t kept good records.


    I-9 audits were introduced in 1986 for verifying worker’s eligibility to work in the United States, and employers are required by law to have a completed (meaning, signed under penalty of perjury) I-9 on file for every employee. If employers don’t follow I-9 requirements precisely, they can be slapped with large fines and even criminal prosecution.


    How large? Fines for technical errors and incorrect paperwork can be as little a $220 or as much as $2,200.

    Knowingly employing someone without authorization to work in the United States, on the other hand, can be punished by a fine $3,548 to $19,242 per violation.

    Employ several workers without the right paperwork and you could be looking at quite a hefty bill.


    In 2017, businesses were ordered to pay a total of $97.6 million in judicial forfeitures, fines, and restitution, and $7.8 million in civil fines. One company, Asplundh Tree Experts out of Pennsylvania, was hit with a record $95 million in fines — the largest fine ever levied for such violations.


    And, financial and legal punishments aside, what about the damage bad press can wreak on a company’s reputation after being caught in violation of the law?

    How much can that end up costing them in lost business? In an age where a single small mishap can wreck a business’s reputation in mere minutes thanks to the power of social media, even the smallest amount of bad publicity can be disastrous.


    Traditionally, legal punishments were mainly dealt to those who flaunted the law, but with crackdowns and audits increasing, no business is immune. When ICE comes knocking, unsuspecting employers with disorganize paperwork are just as likely to find themselves on the wrong side of the law.


    And it turns out it’s not just small businesses who haven’t got their act to together. As big retail giants shutter, it’s being discovered that they never bothered to put proper practices for HR files and employee verification into place, either. For example, a blogger at tech blog Hackaday was shocked to discover upon entering a recently-shuttered Toys R Us that important HR files, such as copies of Social Security cards, were simply left lying about. If massive corporations are that careless with their employee’s personal info, how poorly do they keep track of their I-9s?


    Unless you’re OK with your business being hit with expensive fines and negative <acronym title="Google Page Ranking"><acronym title="Google Page Ranking">PR</acronym></acronym> fallout, it’s crucial to be prepared.

    Start by implementing strict protocols for keeping and managing HR records. Upgrading to a secure, digitized system for sequestering HR files and records will be the most beneficial step you can take in ensuring everything is organized and accessible if an audit occurs.


    If you are storing electronic I-9s, security and keeping them under lock-and-key is paramount, too. An electronic file storage system is required to have certain measures, including:


    • Controls to ensure the integrity, accuracy and reliability of the system.
    • Controls to detect and prevent the unauthorized or accidental creation, alteration or deletion of stored Forms I-9, including the electronic signature, if used.
    • An inspection and quality assurance program that regularly evaluates the system.
    • Controls to ensure an audit trail so that any alteration or change to the form since its creation is electronically stored and can be accessed by inspectors.


    That final measure — an audit trail — is particularly important; whenever an I-9 is accessed or edited a record detailing exactly who accessed it, when they accessed it, and what changes they made, needs to be created.


    If you do find yourself on the receiving end of an I-9 audit from ICE, the first thing you should do is call your legal counsel. Don’t turn over any documents without first consulting them; if served with an NOI, you’ll have three days to produce your I-9s for inspection (as well as other documents they have requested). If they’ve been properly digitized and organized, this will be a quick, painless process, and will ensure you still have physical and digital copies of every document handed over.


    Prepare in advance, and you’ll avoid the penalties and headaches that non-compliance and incomplete records usually bring.


    Read Newsmax: With I-9 Audits on the Rise, Businesses Must Be Prepared | Newsmax.com
    Important: Find Your Real Retirement Date in Minutes! More Info Here

    https://www.newsmax.com/finance/larr.../09/id/890064/
    Last edited by JohnDoe2; 11-09-2018 at 04:41 PM.
    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


    Sign in and post comments here.

    Please support our fight against illegal immigration by joining ALIPAC's email alerts here https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  2. #2
    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    55,883
    You send them a Notice? Or just give them one when you show up? Hope it's the latter.
    A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
    Save America, Deport Congress! - Judy

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  3. #3
    Senior Member 6 Million Dollar Man's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    1,794
    So far ICE hasn't done jack s**t about the businesses I have reported on their website, through that form that you fill out. I'm wondering if the I-9 audits are handled by a different department and if we can report those businesses to that department as well. The article says the Department of Homeland Security, but ICE is under DHS. Does anyone know if it's a different department that handles the I-9 audits? It would be nice to have multiple avenues to reporting these criminal employers.

    By the way, I just looked at DHS's website for contact information, and they have Kirstjen Nielsen's direct email address. I was wondering if letting her know about which companies I want to report would get her to personally contact ICE and get some heads rolling in ICE for them to get off their asses and raid or at least do an I-9 audit on these companies.

  4. #4
    Senior Member JohnDoe2's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    PARADISE (San Diego)
    Posts
    99,040
    Quote Originally Posted by 6 Million Dollar Man View Post
    . . . Does anyone know if it's a different department that handles the I-9 audits? . . .
    ICE conducts the I-9 audits.

    ICE delivers more than 5,200 I-9 audit notices to businesses across ...
    https://www.ice.gov/.../ice-delivers...ses-across-us-...
    Jul 24, 2018 - ICE uses the I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law, part of a comprehensive strategy to address and deter illegal employment. ... After receiving the NOIs, employers are required to produce their company's I-9s within three business days, after which ICE will conduct an inspection for compliance.
    NO AMNESTY

    Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.


    Sign in and post comments here.

    Please support our fight against illegal immigration by joining ALIPAC's email alerts here https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  5. #5
    Senior Member 6 Million Dollar Man's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Posts
    1,794
    Quote Originally Posted by JohnDoe2 View Post
    ICE conducts the I-9 audits.

    ICE delivers more than 5,200 I-9 audit notices to businesses across ...
    https://www.ice.gov/.../ice-delivers...ses-across-us-...
    Jul 24, 2018 - ICE uses the I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law, part of a comprehensive strategy to address and deter illegal employment. ... After receiving the NOIs, employers are required to produce their company's I-9s within three business days, after which ICE will conduct an inspection for compliance.
    I wonder why ICE hasn't sent I-9 audits to the companies that I reported on their site. They really need to get the ball rolling on this and start doing their job.

Similar Threads

  1. ICE switches from raids to I-9 Audits
    By Jean in forum illegal immigration News Stories & Reports
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 03-31-2011, 07:42 AM
  2. ICE Audits Hit Tennessee
    By FedUpinFarmersBranch in forum illegal immigration News Stories & Reports
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 05-03-2010, 11:45 PM
  3. Tax audits: Uncle Sam wants you!
    By JohnDoe2 in forum Other Topics News and Issues
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-16-2010, 07:31 PM
  4. 150 ICE Audits In California to Come
    By JohnDoe2 in forum illegal immigration News Stories & Reports
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 11-21-2009, 07:43 PM
  5. IRS to Cut Audits on Wealthiest
    By CountFloyd in forum Other Topics News and Issues
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 07-26-2008, 06:25 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •