Pabian Law Clients,
I hope everyone had a nice week! Below, please find our latest update on the recent immigration actions that have occurred in the last two weeks:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expands Form I-9 employer violations
Recently, ICE quietly updated its I-9 guidance that substantially changes how Form I-9 violations are classified. In March, ICE revised its longstanding Form I-9 fact sheet to reclassify how it treats certain technical errors. Errors that used to be considered minor and fixable are now treated as more serious violations subject to monetary penalties. This new update now significantly increases employer exposure to fines and enforcement risk for common Form I-9 mistakes.
Given this heightened enforcement, employers should take proactive steps to strengthen their employment verification practices. This includes conducting regular internal audits of I-9 forms for all employees and providing more comprehensive training to human resources personnel. These measures are especially important for employers who employ many foreign nationals because reviewing various work authorization documents can be confusing given the different documents involved and constantly changing immigration programs.
We hope that you find these resources helpful as we all try to make sense of what is really happening in the world of immigration law.
Thanks, everyone, and have a great week!
Best regards,
Keith and the Pabian Law Team