DHS 2012 Budget Proposal Reveals Continued Focus on I-9 Enforcement and E-Verify

by John Fay on February 24, 2011

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano recently unveiled a $57 billion Fiscal Year 2012 budget request to meet the various operational needs and goals of the Department, which includes continued worksite enforcement and improvement of the E-Verify program. Weighing in at roughly 3,300 pages, the budget request describes in great detail the 6 high-level missions of the Department, recent accomplishments of individual agencies, and goals for the coming year. Under the proposal, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would receive 10 percent of the $57 billion amount (constituting a 1% increase) whereas the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is slated for 5 percent. Regardless of the exact numbers, it’s clear that worksite enforcement will continue to be a top priority for ICE and USCIS in the coming year through expansion of Form I-9 audits and the strengthening of E-Verify. Let’s take a brief look at the worksite enforcement accomplishments and goals for these two sister agencies.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Office of Investigations

2012 Total Request: $1.7 billion

The Office of Investigations (OI) is comprised of five investigative components, which includes national security, financial investigations, smuggling/public safety, asset forfeiture, and law enforcement support and information management (this includes the Forensic Document Laboratory). Worksite enforcement falls under the public safety umbrella since one of its goals is to “prevent criminals and terrorists from penetrating and harming the U.S. economy through employment in critical and sensitive areas.â€