The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau is making employer compliance with immigration laws a top priority. According to the ICE, “Effective worksite enforcement plays an important role in the fight against illegal immigration and in protecting our homeland … [it is] intended to mitigate the risk of terrorist attacks posed by unauthorized workers employed in secure areas of our nation’s critical infrastructure. … In addition to alleviating the potential threat posed to national security, ICE’s efforts also prohibit employers from taking advantage of illegal workers. ICE’s Worksite Enforcement Unit also helps employers improve worksite enforcement of employment regulations.”
The ICE has a number of weapons in its arsenal to affect its worksite enforcement program, including well-publicized immigration raids in factories, meatpacking plants, janitorial services, and other workplaces and industries believed to employ large numbers of immigrants. In the last year, large-scale immigration raids have taken place in McDonalds locations throughout Nevada; the Michael Bianco Inc. leather factory in New Bedford, Mass.; meatpacking plants in six states; a pallet company in west Phoenix, Ariz., and many others.
