August 15, 2011, 4:15 PM ET.

Is an Immigration Audit in Your Firm’s Future?

By Sarah E. Needleman

The federal government is cracking down on businesses that employ illegal immigrants, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

So far this year, more than 2,300 companies have been audited by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security.

Among them is Chipotle Mexican Grill, a publicly traded burrito chain that started out as an entrepreneurial venture back in 1993. After an immigration audit of its payrolls, the company lost 450 of its roughly 1,200 employees in Minnesota between late last year and early this year.

Chipotle is the brainchild of Steve Ells, who initially launched the casual eatery as a way to fund a fine-dining restaurant he envisioned. (Please see related article, “Starting Chipotle From Scratch.â€