Yane McKenzie

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During this time of emergency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided guidance for employers on how to complete the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form, which requires employers to inspect the original documents provided in person by employees. If there are individuals who wish to limit social interactions with others and do not want…

The number of I-9 audits is on the rise, but for many employers this is still unfamiliar territory. In this post, we will explore what happens next after Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has selected your company for an audit.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires employers to verify the work authorization status of…

The Trump administration’s tough stance on enforcing employer compliance continues.  Last year, there were a number of highly publicized raids, including the following:

  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 364 individuals during 30-day enforcement visits in the following midwestern states: Illinois (134), Indiana (52), Kansas (43), Kentucky (60), Missouri (42), Wisconsin (33).
  • ICE conducted a

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Worksite Enforcement

When you think of immigration in the United States these days, the first thought that comes to your mind might be the continuing dispute over building a wall at the Southern border.  That topic has certainly received the most attention, but for employers, the more relevant issue remains the increasing worksite immigration enforcement…

Since the federal government vowed to take strong measures against employers and unauthorized foreign workers under the “Buy American Hire American” (BAHA) Executive Order, we have seen an increase in the number of worksite enforcement visits and arrests.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased its workforce by four to five times, and as…

Last week, I attended the annual American Immigration Lawyers Association Conference in San Francisco with 3,500+ others from all over the country (and some from outside the U.S.).  The consensus from the conference reiterated that the immigration landscape is shifting rapidly, and employers must adapt to those significant changes.  Here are some of the most…

About one year ago, President Trump signed the “Buy American Hire American” (BAHA) Executive Order to “create higher wages and employment rates for workers in the United States, and to protect their economic interests.”  Under the auspices of BAHA, the U.S. immigration landscape has seen many changes in rules, policies, and operations in the past…

Last year, we heard the federal government announce that it would increase the number of raids and site inspections to ensure businesses were going through the proper procedures to hire employment-authorized workers.  Well, we are beginning to see the government live up to its word.

On January 10, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents visited…

One of President Trump’s chief agenda items has been immigration enforcement.  While the President’s intent may be to keep out terrorists, remove undocumented foreign nationals, and eliminate fraudulent visa practices, these efforts can also have a tremendous impact on U.S. employers.  One of the ways this administration has ramped up its immigration enforcement efforts has…

By now, you have undoubtedly heard about the current administration’s plan to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and about the proposed travel ban against foreign nationals from certain countries (which continues to be vigorously contested in court). Most recently, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS or the Immigration Service) announced its plan to combat fraud and abuse in the H-1B Visa Program.  The H-1B Visa is a highly popular nonimmigrant visa available to foreign nationals who are being offered a “specialty occupation” position as defined by immigration statutes and regulations.  The Immigration Service has a unit dedicated to preventing fraudulent use of this visa.  (If your company has ever filed an H-1B petition on behalf of an employee, you may recall paying a $500 fraud prevention fee – that fee is used to fund the Immigration Service’s site visits, interviews, and investigations). …
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