Immigration crackdown focuses on employers: ICE is reviewing the employees at more than 600 companies.(WASHINGTON ALERT)

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced in July that it was issuing Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) inspection notices to 652 companies in an effort to crack down on employers who knowingly employ illegal workers.

According to ICE officials, this represents the largest number of notices ever issued in a single day and exceeds the total sent out in all of fiscal 2008. The companies targeted in July were located in New York, Texas, Washington and California and represent a variety of industries. ICE did not release the names of the companies to be audited.

The I-9 form is the eligibility-for-employment form that requires verification of certain documents. Immigration agents plan to review the I-9 forms and identification documents at all 652 companies. Those with significant numbers of undocumented workers may be fined. If ICE agents believe the businesses knowingly hired illegal immigrants or find "a pattern of egregious violations," criminal investigations could be launched.

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Paperwork fines typically range from $110 to $1,100 per I-9. Fines for knowingly hiring or continuing to employ violations range from $375 to $3,200 per unauthorized worker. If an employer contests either the violations or the amount of the fines, it must serve a written request via a hearing within 30 days. If the employer requests a hearing, the matter is referred to ICE counsel.

The Obama Administration has made tougher enforcement aimed at employers of illegal workers a cornerstone of its immigration policy. In April, the federal government issued new guidelines to immigration agents instructing them to focus on employers who hire illegal immigrants rather than simply arrest workers.

At the same time, President Obama is attempting to ramp up support for an overhaul of immigration legislation that would set millions of illegal immigrants on the path to U.S. citizenship.

For additional information on 1-9 audits, visit www.uscis.gov.

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