Co-author: Michael Kelsheimer
Published on ForConstructionPros.com

Understand and navigate the government’s amplified focus on undocumented workers to protect your business from escalating fines, jail time, delay damages and back-charges

Whatever your political views, undocumented workers and the businesses that knowingly or unknowingly employ them have been under the microscope since President Trump took office in January 2017.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), between Oct. 1, 2017, and May 4, 2018, there were:

  • 2,282 employer audits opened, nearly a 60% jump from the 1,360 audits opened between October 2016 and September 2017,
  • 594 employers arrested on criminal immigration charges, up from 139 during the previous fiscal year, and
  • 610 civil immigration charges, compared to 172 in the preceding 12 months

Co-author: Michael Kelsheimer

Whatever your political views, undocumented workers and the businesses that knowingly or unknowingly employ them are coming under the microscope.

If you compile recent headlines, you’ll know the President has implemented two immigration bans, is challenging so-called “Sanctuary Cities” that do not help Federal immigration enforcement, has instructed government agencies to become more aggressive in enforcement of immigration laws, and is already reviewing proposals to strengthen the border wall.  On top of this, the E-Verify program for verifying worker status is likely to become mandatory.

Further, employers who try to do it right by using the H-2B program have been dealt a stiff blow.  The Returning Worker Program, which dramatically extended the stingy 66,000 nationwide cap on H-2B non-immigrant workers, has not been renewed.  The H-2B cap has already been reached for 2017, so the hope for help there is gone.