Source:  Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 6/16/11

Immigration and Customs Enforcement notified 1,000 companies Wednesday that their hiring records are subject to inspection, the Wall Street Journal reported.

It’s the latest in several such waves of enforcement of laws prohibiting the employment of undocumented workers. The companies under scrutiny are in industries considered critical to infrastructure and resources, including food production, the report said.
 

They were chosen based on I-9 employment-eligibility forms that were turned over to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit of the Department of Homeland Security; all companies nationwide were required to hand over such forms for review.

In this fiscal year, which began last October, the number of companies audited by immigration authorities comes to 2,338, including this latest group, compared with 2,196 last fiscal year, the Journal reported. Employers have been fined a total of $7.1 million for breaking labor and immigration laws so far this year, compared with $6.9 million for the entire previous fiscal year.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.