Thread: Abercrombie & Fitch fined $1,047,110. after I-9 audit

I.C.E. News Release

September 28, 2010

Abercrombie & Fitch fined after I-9 audit

DETROIT - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced today a $1,047,110 fine settlement reached with the clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch for violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act related to an employer's obligation to verify the employment eligibility of its workers.

The settlement is the result of a November 2008 Form I-9 inspection of Abercrombie & Fitch's retail stores in Michigan. The audit uncovered numerous technology-related deficiencies in Abercrombie & Fitch's electronic I-9 verification system. The company was fully cooperative during the investigation and no instances of the knowing hire of unauthorized aliens were discovered. Since the initial inspection, Abercrombie & Fitch has taken measures to revise its immigration compliance program, and has begun to implement new procedures to prevent future violations of federal immigration laws.

"Employers are responsible not only for the people they hire but also for the internal systems they choose to utilize to manage their employment process and those systems must result in effective compliance," said Brian M. Moskowitz, special agent in charge of ICE HSI for Ohio and Michigan "We are pleased to see Abercrombie working diligently to complete the implementation of an effective compliance system; however, we know that there are other companies who are not doing so. This settlement should serve as a warning to other companies that may not yet take the employment verification process seriously or provide it the attention it warrants."

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 and employment eligibility document(s) and determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and related to the individual. Additionally, an employer must ensure that the employee provides certain information regarding his or her eligibility to work on the Form I-9.

In 2009, 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. In the last year, ICE has leveled a record number of civil and criminal penalties against employers who violate immigration laws.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 28, 2010
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/1009/100928detroit.htm

$1,047,110 fine

That might get their attention.

Abercrombie & Fitch is a publicly traded company and on the S&P 500 list.

Abercrombie & Fitch
Type Public (NYSE: ANF)
S&P 500 Component

I have little doubt that Abercrombie & Fitch's hiring practices regarding illegal invaders is the norm rather than the exception. God only knows how many illegal invaders are employed in this country by these publically held corporations.

The company was fully cooperative during the investigation and no instances of the knowing hire of unauthorized aliens were discovered.

So this company was fined over $1,000,000 by the US Government when no hirings of illegal aliens was discovered.

Does anyone think an agency that calls illegal aliens "unauthorized aliens" who wastes our time and money fining a company $1,000,000 who didn't hire any illegal aliens is gaining the affection of the American People? Do you think we're stupid ICE? Well think again.

People keep saying they want the employers fined and now we got a nice size fine.

I hope they do this many more time.

If the fines don't work there are lots of jails with room for the employers.

Other nice fines.

Cincinnati firm fined $536,046 for hiring illegal aliens
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-188146.html

McDonald's franchisesee fined $1 MILLION for hiring illegal aliens
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ds&start=0

Owner of Annapolis Painting Services sentenced for money laundering and hiring illegal aliens
Owner also ordered to forfeit property worth more than $1 million
http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090904baltimore.htm

RCI Inc. officers forfiet $1.5 million for hiring illegal aliens
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases ... rapids.htm

Pilgrim's Pride to pay $4.5 million for hiring illegal aliens
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-183357.html

Border Fence Firm Snared for Hiring Illegal Workers
(Fined $5 million)
A fence-building company in Southern California agrees to pay nearly $5 million in fines for hiring illegal immigrants.
Two executives from the company may also serve jail time.
The Golden State Fence Company's work includes some of the border fence between San Diego and Mexico.
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-262786-.html

RELATED

1/2 of I.C.E. audited CO.s get fines of $110,000 or more

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-213872.html

You don't have to hire an illegal alien to get fined in an I.C.E. I-9 audit.

If you can't produce the I-9 form (properly filled out) and copies of the documents used to prove a right to work in the country, because some fired employee didn't record them properly or file them in the right place so you can find them, you get fined, even if the employee is an American citizen.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

People keep saying they want the employers fined and now we got a nice size fine.

I hope they do this many more time.

If the fines don't work there are lots of jails with room for the employers.

Yes, people keep saying they want the employers of illegal aliens fined for hiring illegal aliens. And I support the fines for hiring illegal aliens. But to fine someone for record-keeping errors on US citizens is just wrong, wrong and more wrong. The companies should only be fined when they hire an illegal alien, not for bad paperwork on US citizens. I don't understand why our law or the interpretation of it would do that.

I think we should do away with the I-9 and replace it with E-Verify. A federal government fining our companies hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions for bad record-keeping on the I-9s when they didn't hire any illegal aliens doesn't make sense to me when the same federal government refuses to pass the Save Act, refuses to use E-verify on government contracts, refuses to support AZ immigration law half of which is devoted to dealing with illegal employers, refuses to deport illegal aliens after they're captured, refuses to finish the fence, refuses to get ample troops or border patrol to our borders, releases illegal aliens back into society after they're arrested, and an agency like ICE who says straight up they aren't going to deport the illegal aliens arrested by Arizona under their new AZ immigration law is an agency off its mark, off its course, hanging out there like some mentally deficient, mentally ill boogieman sabotaging everyone else's efforts to actually GET ILLEGAL ALIENS OUT OF THE UNITED STATES AND KEEP THEM OUT.

ICE is operating like some suit and tie outfit using desk work, audits, paperwork, press releases and money fines to try to make it look like they're trying to stop illegal immigration when it's a work boots under fatigues on the ground physical undertaking to actually achieve it.

Yes, people keep saying they want the employers of illegal aliens fined for hiring illegal aliens. And I support the fines for hiring illegal aliens. But to fine someone for record-keeping errors on US citizens is just wrong, wrong and more wrong.

If you don't keep track of your income tax records and you get caught you get fined.
Same thing here.
Business records must be kept for a certain length of time and contain the correct info.