ICE Fines San Diego-area Companies for Hiring Unlawful Employees
SAN DIEGO – As part its enforcement strategy to
reduce illegal employment and protect job opportunities for the nation's lawful
workforce, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Tuesday that
10 employers in San Diego and Imperial counties were fined by ICE during fiscal
year 2012 for various employment-related violations.
Collectively, the fines totaled more than $173,800, with the largest fine,
$50,000, being lodged against a San Diego-area medical transportation service.
The fines were imposed after ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) found
the businesses had failed to comply with laws prohibiting the hiring of
unauthorized workers.
One of the ways HSI identifies potential hiring violations is by auditing
employers' Form I-9s, the document businesses use to verify an employee's
eligibility to work. Employers are required to complete and retain a Form I-9
for each individual they hire. In fiscal year 2012, HSI conducted 151 worksite
audits in San Diego and Imperial counties, compared to 86 audits the previous
year and 63 audits in fiscal year 2010.
"Employers who build their business model upon an illegal workforce will be held
accountable," said Derek Benner, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. "We
encourage employers to take the employee verification process seriously. Employers must understand that the integrity of their employment records is just
as important to the federal government as the integrity of their tax files or
banking records."
Below, in alphabetical order, is a list of the businesses in San Diego and
Imperial counties that received final fine notices from ICE in fiscal year 2012:
Aquarius Yacht Services – $13,744 fine
Balboa Ambulance Incorporated – $50,000 fine
El Sol Meat Market – $24,050 fine
Harmony Egg Ranch – $9,000 fine
International Consolidated Cargo – $7,480 fine
Mexicali Chicken and Salad – $21,500 fine
Old Town Buffet – $15,000 fine
Rocha Trucking & Parking Inc. – $8,000 fine
Stanford Sign and Awning Inc. – $9,600 fine
TDG Aerospace – $15,427.50 fine
The $173,800 in civil fines lodged against area San Diego-area companies in
fiscal year 2012 represents an 18 percent increase over fiscal year 2011, when
HSI imposed $146,577 in civil fines locally against 11 employers.
While HSI continues to pursue criminal cases against unscrupulous employers, it
now places increased emphasis on gaining employers' compliance and outreach to the business community. As part of this
effort, HSI utilizes all available civil and administrative tools, including
Form I-9 inspections, civil fines and debarment. HSI also actively promotes the
ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IM AGE) outreach program.
IM AGE is a voluntary partnership between the government and the private sector
where employers receive invaluable training and are provided with additional
tools to strengthen the integrity of their workforce and curtail the employment
of unauthorized workers. There are currently 11 San Diego-area companies that
are certified members of the IM AGE program.
Nationwide, HSI conducted more than 3,000 worksite audits in fiscal year 2012 as
compared to 2,496 the previous year. In fiscal year 2012, the worksite audits
and related investigations resulted in the issuance of 495 final fine notices
totaling more than $12.4 million. That compares to 385 civil fines assessed in
fiscal year 2011 totaling $16.3 million.
Source:ICE