ICE signs 37 new partners in the IMAGE program

I.C.E. News Release

September 9, 2008

ICE signs 37 new partners in the IMAGE program
26 members and 11 associate members welcomed to training conference on best hiring practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In a ceremony at its new headquarters in Arlington, Va., the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program signed on 26 new members today to the corporate compliance group that already included nine charter members. In addition, 10 new companies and one association signed on as IMAGE associates, committing themselves to meeting the workforce compliance standards set by the IMAGE program at its inception in January 2007.

The new companies hail from around the United States and include a wide range of industries, including employment services, aviation, transportation, construction, high technology, shipping and manufacturing. In signing the IMAGE contract, these businesses are establishing a formal partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to follow the best hiring practices recommended by the program, train their staff to uphold the high standards required, and to use the screening tools offered by the federal government to ensure employees are lawfully authorized to work. Associate members are working to meet the standards set by the program, partnering with ICE officials to assess their business practices and improve, where necessary, the way they hire, process I-9 forms, maintain employment records and otherwise comply with U.S. laws on employment.

In welcoming the new companies, Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for ICE, said, "Thank you for joining ICE in protecting national security by ensuring the integrity of your workforces."

"Your ability to aspire to and meet the IMAGE standard is an example to all those in your industry of corporate leadership and good citizenship. It's also a signal to your clients and business partners that you care about your brand and their reputation in partnering with you."

IMAGE membership begins with a self-assessment of hiring practices to uncover vulnerabilities that can be exploited by illegal aliens. Technical tools that screen job applicants, such as E-Verify, or screen Social Security Numbers, are integrated with best practices to assure that employees are legally eligible to work.

Companies that have been IMAGE members for more than two years attest that they are seeing more stability in their workforces and more interest on the part of clients in contracting with compliant companies.

After the ceremony, new members and associates joined the charter members in a three-day training by IMAGE experts in the latest safeguards for workforce integrity.

ICE also acknowledged today the endorsement of a major association, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities, which pledged to promote IMAGE membership among its member municipalities.

To learn more about the IMAGE program, go to www.ICE.gov and choose IMAGE from the "Partners" area of the website.

IMAGE Members
Charter
Aluminum Precision Products - Santa Ana, Calif.
Atlas Pallet Company - Nampa, Idaho
Colcon Corporation - Sullivan, Ill.
Colorado Structures, Inc. - Colorado Springs, Colo.
General Dynamics - Falls Church, Va.
Hitch Enterprises, Inc. - Guymon, Okla.
National Association of Foreign Trade Zones - Washington, D.C.
Staff Management, Inc. - Chicago
Systems Painters and Drywall - New Ulm, Texas

Full
AccuWest Pacific, LLC - Sedro Woolley, Wash.
Apartment Rehabilitation Corporation - Newark
Atlanta Northside Aviation, Inc. - Kennesaw, Ga.
CHEP USA - Orlando
City of Palmdale - Palmdale, Calif.
Eagle Group International, LLC - Atlanta
Employment Verification Resources, Inc. - Reno
First Credit Union - Phoenix
First Montgomery Group - Newark
Fluid Components International, LLC - Canoga Park, Calif.
Hire Standards, LLC - Phoenix
HR Ideas, LLC - San Ramon, Calif.
Little Lady Foods, Inc. - Elk Grove Village, Ill.
New Dimension Human Capital Solutions, LLC - Troy, Mich.
The Odom Corporation - Bellevue, Wash.
Porter Industries, Inc. - Loveland, Colo.
Puerto Rico Freight Systems, Inc. - San Juan, P.R.
San Diego Flight Training International - San Diego
Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority - Sarasota, Fla.
Class 8 Parts Inc. - New Holland, Pa.
Sindall Transport Inc. - New Holland, Pa.
Sindall Truck Service, LLC - New Holland, Pa.
Sindall Warehouse & Distribution Inc. - New Holland, Pa.
Sundt Construction, Inc. - Phoenix
Swissport Cargo Services, L.P. - Los Angeles International Airport
SynQ Solutions, Inc. - Atlanta
TASER International, Inc. - Phoenix
TrueBlue, Inc. - Tacoma, Wash.
United Communities - Newark.

Associate
All American Brothers Company, LLC - Houston
DJ Manufacturing Corp. - Caguas, P.R.
El Conquistador Golf Resort & Casino - Los Croabas, P.R.
Express Employment Professionals of Mt. Vernon, Wash.
Express Employment Professionals of Bellingham, Wash.
International Shipping Agency, Inc. - San Juan, P.R.
National Group - San Juan, P.R.
Pulice Construction, Inc. - Phoenix
Smithfield Foods, Inc. - Smithfield, VA
Smith Protective Services - Dallas
Talent Tree, Inc. - Houston

Endorsee
New Jersey State League of Municipalities - Trenton, N.J.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

Last Modified: Tuesday, September 9, 2008
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

This is great!.



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The new companies hail from around the United States and include a wide range of industries

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What??? Tyson's is not on that list?

I hope this really catches on and that these good companies will be promoted and advertised. We need a critical mass of compliant companies so that we can send them our business!

Maybe they will register with E-verifile.

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Originally Posted by Gogo

This is great!.



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Ditto! I love the CLAPPING HANDS Gogo! :lol:

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Originally Posted by butterbean

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Originally Posted by Gogo

This is great!.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...e/HandClap.gif

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Ditto! I love the CLAPPING HANDS Gogo! :lol:

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simple but to the point

The State of North Carolina is not on that list?

Why aren't there any states fully using E-Verify?

Is Arizona using E-Verify?

Is Rhode Island the only state signing on fully with the 287 g program?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Oh we have many illegals! But the new fight which we must fight is legal immigration. Dear Lord Help Us!

The i-9's and the green cards are killing the jobs totally for Americans.

Where are the Americans working?

Hate or Love a country? Is the question?

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http://tinyurl.com/5tv8k4

BALTIMORE -- A Snow Hill man will spend three years in prision for trying to bribe state and federal officals in a scheme that cluminated in raids on several Lower Shore businesses last fall.

Javed Iqbal, 40, was also given three years supervised release Tuesday for a racketeering conspiracy related to a scheme to bribe officials with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to illegally obtain green cards and the Maryland Comptroller's Office to receive abatement of state taxes, said officials from the U. S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

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REMEMBER THIS BECAUSE THIS IS THE LOOPHOLE... ALL FOREIGNERS WANT I-9'S AND GREEN CARDS AND ETC. THEN THE AMERICANS JOBS ARE THEIR'S LEGALLY AND THE BABIES PRODUCED ARE AMERICANS?

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Originally Posted by vmonkey56

The State of North Carolina is not on that list?

Why aren't there any states fully using E-Verify?

Is Arizona using E-Verify?

Is Rhode Island the only state signing on fully with the 287 g program?

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I thought Arizona was maybe I'm mistaken.

I.C.E. News Release

About Benefits FAQs Members Sign-Up

IMAGE
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is IMAGE?
IMAGE is a joint government and private sector voluntary initiative designed to build cooperative relationships that strengthen overall hiring practices. The goal is to help restore the integrity of the immigration system of the United States by utilizing industry outreach and self-policing. ICE has developed this initiative as a new concept for employer self-compliance within the worksite enforcement program.

Why Was the IMAGE Program Started?
An April 1999 Government Accountability Office report entitled “Significant Obstacles to Reducing Unauthorized Alien Employment Exist,â€

I just emailed this and another ICE report to all the North Carolina House and Senate folks.

Wonder if they will read it! I truly doubt 1/5 read any thing but their check numbers.

Is it me or is the patch work here on Americans' Security and Hiring criminal, too?

I AM VOTING FOR CHUCK BALDWIN........

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Originally Posted by vmonkey56

I just emailed this and another ICE report to all the North Carolina House and Senate folks.

Wonder if they will read it! I truly doubt 1/5 read any thing but their check numbers.

Is it me or is the patch work here on Americans' Security and Hiring criminal, too?

I AM VOTING FOR CHUCK BALDWIN........

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Great work vmonkey

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Endorsee
New Jersey State League of Municipalities - Trenton, N.J.

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NEW JERSEY?!?!??! 8O I don't believe it! They are one of the most illegal alien filled states in the country!!! Plus the traitor Menendez..he must be loving this! :lol: :lol:

Almost forgot to document this


Got it

Staff Management, Inc. - Chicago


Chicago the sanctuary city??? Wow :D 8)


I'm going to send all this information to my city and county leaders. Worth a try!

Thanks, vmonkey!! But I am seriously beginning to wonder what sway Bank of America and Wachovia, headquartered in Charlotte are holding with the companies that use their services. After NY, Charlotte is the 2nd largest banking center in the country.

Published on HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com (http://hamptonroads.com)
Smithfield joins program to curb hiring of illegal immigrants

Smithfield Foods Inc., the subject of at least two immigration raids last year in North Carolina, was listed Tuesday among 37 new participants in a federal program to deter the employment of undocumented workers.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office named 26 new members and 11 new associate members to a voluntary program called IMAGE, or the ICE Mutual Agreement Between Government and Employers. The federal agency provides education and training to the companies, which in turn agree to deterrents such as establishing a tip line to report the employment of undocumented workers.

Smithfield Foods, based in Smithfield, is an associate member, which means it has not fulfilled all 10 requirements, ICE spokeswoman Pat Reilly said. Reilly and Dick Poulson, an executive vice president of Smithfield, declined to say which requirements the company had yet to satisfy.

Participation in the program, Poulson said, shows "we're being a good corporate citizen and complying with the federal law."

In 2007, immigration officials arrested about 50 workers and former employees at Smithfield's Tar Heel, N.C., plant. Federal agents said that they were in the country illegally and that some had engaged in identity theft.

"When the raids occurred," Poulson said, "we saw the writing on the wall.... We think we've taken steps to protect our employees by hopefully checking credentials and seeing that we're not vulnerable to people stealing identities."

Reilly said Smithfield, with more than 57,000 employees, was among the largest of the new additions to the program.

"We're thrilled that Smithfield wanted to be an IMAGE partner," she said. "It's an important industry. It's one in which we've found a lot of non compliance, not necessarily on the company level but in the hiring area, from the front-line supervisors looking the other way on an illegal work force. We hope that the IMAGE partners will become industry leaders."

The IMAGE program, launched in January 2007, now has 46 full members and associate members, Reilly said.

Philip Walzer, (757) 222-3864, phil.walzer@pilotonline.com


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Source URL (retrieved on 09/09/2008 - 23:27): http://hamptonroads.com/2008/09/smithfi ... immigrants

ICE enlists companies to stem illegal hirings
Firms sign on for self-policing; critics wonder if it could be a trap
By SUSAN CARROLL
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Sept. 9, 2008, 10:52PM

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CRITERIA TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAM

Employers seeking to participate in the federal government's "IMAGE" program must agree to certain conditions, including:
• Establish an internal training program on how properly to check the government's Form I-9 (employee eligibility verification form).

• Enroll in E-Verify ; an employment eligibility verification program, and the Social Security Number Verification Service.

• Arrange for annual I-9 audits by an external auditing firm or a trained employee not otherwise involved in the I-9 and E-Verify process.

• Establish a self-reporting procedure for notifying ICE of any violations or deficiencies.

• Undergo an I-9 audit conducted by ICE.

• Establish a "tip line" by which employees can report activity relating to the employment of illegal workers, and a protocol for responding to employee tips.

• Submit an annual report to ICE to track results of the IMAGE program.

Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

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With high-profile workplace immigration raids making news across the country, many employers might not seem eager to sit face-to-face with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and open up their books for scrutiny.

But Betsy Kippenhan, an executive with a Houston-based staffing firm, seemed downright excited about it, speaking fondly of the "ICE advocate" who will be helping the company, Talent Tree, verify its worker eligibility through an ICE program called "IMAGE."

"We wanted to make sure they were going to look at us and give us the stamp of approval, which is what they've done," said Kippenhan on Tuesday after formally signing up for ICE's self-policing program for employers.

But some immigration attorneys and labor advocates warned that IMAGE could be a legal trap for employers who haven't been vigilant examining workers I-9 forms, which establish eligibility to work in the U.S.

In exchange for free education and training, companies participating in IMAGE (Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers) agree to meet certain requirements, including using the federal government's Internet-based employment verification system and checking workers' Social Security numbers. Employers also must agree to an ICE audit of workers' employment paperwork and promise to self-report any violations of hiring law.


Membership growing
ICE spokeswoman Pat Reilly said the program started small in January 2007 with only nine members.

On Tuesday it added 26 members and 11 associate members, a category created in June to give employers two years to get their paperwork in order before submitting to an ICE audit or producing an annual report. The membership rolls range from small businesses like the Bellaire-based construction company All American Brothers, to big names in government contracting, like General Dynamics. Smithfield Foods Inc., which employs more than 57,000 people worldwide, also is an associate member.

Reilly said some employers expressed an interest in the program after "someone else in their industry was the subject of a worksite enforcement" raid.

ICE has stepped up its worksite enforcement in recent months, reporting 3,900 arrests for immigration violations and more than 1,000 criminal arrests from worksite enforcement investigations in the past 10 months. According to ICE, 116 owners, managers, supervisors or human resources employees, were facing criminal charges in connection with on-the-job raids, including harboring or knowingly hiring undocumented workers.


'A poor image'
For some companies, Reilly said, the program is "brand protection, and an insurance against 'headline risk'. You don't want your brand bandied about as somebody who doesn't comply with the law because then you lose clients' confidence."

Kathleen Walker, an El Paso attorney and executive committee member with the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said IMAGE "has a poor image" and has attracted few participants.

"I think it's a mirage," Walker said. "Employers can put themselves into a trap signing up for IMAGE."

Charles Foster, a Houston immigration attorney with Tindall & Foster, urged employers to use caution before signing up for the program, particularly if "their house is not in order."

"On the surface, there is nothing wrong with it," he said. "But there are concerns that employers should be aware of. You're effectively inviting the government to review all of your employment verification forms. That could produce significant civil and criminal liability."


'Not a trap'
Foster and Walker pointed to a raid of the Swift & Co. meatpacking plants in December 2006 in Texas as an example of what can go wrong with private partnerships with ICE. Swift had voluntarily participated in the government's electronic employment verification system for more than a decade before the raids, which resulted in more than 1,200 arrests at six meatpacking plants.

Reilly said E-Verify is a "free, easy-to-use tool," but is not a stand-alone solution to detecting undocumented workers. She said hiring practices at Swift plants showed a pattern of blatant illegal behavior.

Reilly said IMAGE is "not a trap," pledging that ICE will work with businesses that participate in the program.

"When we look at their records ... and patterns that might indicate an illegal workforce, we're not going to say, 'You have to come into compliance by tomorrow.' " Reilly said. "But what we are going to look for is if there is any illegal activity going on in their workplace, we're going to ask them to take care of that first, like stolen identities and flagrant fraudulent documents."

Hector Diaz, the president of All American Brothers Company based in Bellaire, called the program "the wave of the future." He signed up as an associate member on Tuesday, and completed his first day of IMAGE training in Arlington, Va., saying the program has become an necessity for his roughly 20-employee construction company, which works exclusively on government contracts.

"I think it's going to be a requirement for federal contract work," said Diaz, whose recent projects included work at Ellington Field and NASA. "You can't be working on a government contract and have an illegal alien."


Reassuring clients
Ruth McCurdy, vice president for corporate connections for Talent Tree, which employs 35,000 temporary associates and about 250 staff members nationwide, said one of the main goals is to reassure clients that workers placed with their companies by the staffing firm are eligible to work in the U.S.

"There are companies out there that employ illegal aliens and put them in companies, and that puts a lot of people at risk," McCurdy said. "When you are working with a third party for your workforce, you need to know you have a partner that has people who have passed the eligibility requirements."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chr ... 92917.html

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-3522--0-0.html

Arizona was the first state to insist on the E-Verify program. The company I work for has just signed up to be in the IMAGE program too, and quite frankly we are very proud to do this as a company. Because the government don't have a handle on the immigration issues most states have implemented their own immigration laws. Arizona and Oklahoma (I think) are the toughest.

I use the E-Verify program for our clients and the only thing it cannot verify is if the card is valid does it actually belong to the person in front of you? The IMAGE program also offers classes to identify fraudulent documents, which most people wouldn't know one if they saw one. Once you have seen one then you can go forward with more confidence at what you should actually be looking at.

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Originally Posted by styvoinnevada

Arizona was the first state to insist on the E-Verify program. The company I work for has just signed up to be in the IMAGE program too, and quite frankly we are very proud to do this as a company. Because the government don't have a handle on the immigration issues most states have implemented their own immigration laws. Arizona and Oklahoma (I think) are the toughest.

I use the E-Verify program for our clients and the only thing it cannot verify is if the card is valid does it actually belong to the person in front of you? The IMAGE program also offers classes to identify fraudulent documents, which most people wouldn't know one if they saw one. Once you have seen one then you can go forward with more confidence at what you should actually be looking at.

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That's good information syvoinnedvada.

I do notice all of the dissenters on this are lawyers. HA! May lose some money hum?

On a different note it would appear the the owner and his son and 3 HR managers of Agriprocessors are being hauled to court over allegations of more than 9000 cases of Child Labor Law abuse. I am so glad that top executives are being punished as well as the undocumented workers.

I-9's ; have got to stop; Americans are not going to have jobs at all.

I have learned that I-9's are checked but E-Verify is not required.

But North Carolina has started checking I-9's to E-Verify for only AG / farm workers recently; is what the unemployment says.

E-Verify everyone!

I know the SS Admin database is not up to scratch but if everybody used E-Verify it would become more and more perfect every day. There is no issue with employees taking the time to get their numbers fixed and then it is a done deal. The only time you need worry is if you are an illegal.

I am hearing from unemployment and city hall we are only to check I-9's.

How and Why are I-9's so freely used?

The unemployment office have just started checking AG/I-9 against E-Verify.
What good is this? These I-9's foreigners want all other jobs than in the fields of North Carolina.

NO MORE I-9's! STOP IMMIGRATION TOTALLY! BECAUSE OF THE ABUSE!

The I-9 form does actually work but only if you are a scrupulous employer. It verifies work eligibility for all employees in the US.

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Originally Posted by styvoinnevada

I know the SS Admin database is not up to scratch but if everybody used E-Verify it would become more and more perfect every day. There is no issue with employees taking the time to get their numbers fixed and then it is a done deal. The only time you need worry is if you are an illegal.

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I heard that there is a photo tool that is involved in it. I thought you said, you couldn't tell if it belongs to the person sitting in front of you. Do you ask for a second ID with a photo? How does that work. I understand that the error rate has improved to .5%. I don't anything that is 100% error free.

Yes there is a photo tool available to you but it only works with foreign nationals and if you do your own E-Verify. We don't have the tool at our end because we are designated agents for our clients and we work from copies of documents and not actual documents. It would only work if you photocopied documents of employees anyway, which ICE suggest that you do to show that you took the documents in "good faith" and made a "best effort" to employ only documented workers.

I love E-Verify! It is very user-friendly and not at all time consuming as many would have you believe. Occasionally, there is some follow-up if you get a mismatch but that does NOT happen very often. I do 80/100 a week and I might get 3 kickbacks a month and most of those are foreign nationals waiting to be verified by DHS. This usually clears the system within 24 hours and there is no follow-up required. Doesn't get any easier than it already is. It also has great information on what is happening with regards to updated forms etc. I am totally sold!

:D :D [/u]

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Originally Posted by styvoinnevada

Yes there is a photo tool available to you but it only works with foreign nationals and if you do your own E-Verify. We don't have the tool at our end because we are designated agents for our clients and we work from copies of documents and not actual documents. It would only work if you photocopied documents of employees anyway, which ICE suggest that you do to show that you took the documents in "good faith" and made a "best effort" to employ only documented workers.

I love E-Verify! It is very user-friendly and not at all time consuming as many would have you believe. Occasionally, there is some follow-up if you get a mismatch but that does NOT happen very often. I do 80/100 a week and I might get 3 kickbacks a month and most of those are foreign nationals waiting to be verified by DHS. This usually clears the system within 24 hours and there is no follow-up required. Doesn't get any easier than it already is. It also has great information on what is happening with regards to updated forms etc. I am totally sold!

:D :D [/u]

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What do you say to your Senator and Congress member when they spout the inaccuracy of E-verify and won't vote for the SAVE Act?

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Originally Posted by styvoinnevada

I know the SS Admin database is not up to scratch but if everybody used E-Verify it would become more and more perfect every day. There is no issue with employees taking the time to get their numbers fixed and then it is a done deal. The only time you need worry is if you are an illegal.

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Great point, styvoinnevada!

We need you before Congress.

Two San Diego companies join IMAGE program

Two San Diego-area companies have joined a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that aims to establish the best practices for employers committed to not hiring unauthorized workers.

Twenty-six companies took part in a signing ceremony Tuesday in Arlington, Va., for the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers, or IMAGE. According to the agency, the companies have agreed to take measures that will ensure they do not hire employees not authorized to work in the United States.

The two local companies are San Diego Flight Training International, a flight school based at Montgomery Field owned by Phil Thalheimer, who is a candidate for the San Diego City Council, and Fluid Components International LLC, a San Marcos manufacturing company.

The IMAGE program, which began in January 2007, already had nine charter members.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib ... riefs.html

I hope more sign up. I have business cards saying I support businesses that use E-verfile. I wished they said E-verify and IMAGE

There are so many programs and partnerships now available to do something, anything, to truly say that you are trying to hire legally and to avoid hiring illegal aliens. There are no more excuses if you want to follow the law.

Report those who are suspected of hiring illegal aliens and pass this information on to state and local representatives and to area businesses.

Good idea Gogo to have business cards and to give them to local merchants who you do business with daily.

Ephesians 4:32