The Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO) has ordered Hartmann Studio, Inc. to pay a fine of over $600,000, which is one of the largest fines that it has ever assessed for I-9 form violations not involving the knowing employment of undocumented…
Posts by Category: E-Verify Issues
Immigration Corner: Major E-Verify Changes Proposed
USCIS released the details of proposed major changes to the E-Verify program. The notice proposes several major changes to the E-Verify program and seeks public comments until August 7, 2015. These changes will affect all employer users, including Federal Acquisition…
Manager Narrowly Escapes Jail Time for Making a False Statement on an I-9 Form
Human resource and hiring managers are becoming painfully aware of the potential dangers lurking behind the Form I-9 and E-Verify process. For the most part, these tales of woe stem from procedural failures such as missing or incorrectly completed I-9s, which can lead…
I-9 and E-Verify Decisions Can Lead to Unfair Labor Practices
We’ve been seeing a new risk associated with I-9s, originating (ironically) from employers’ often-diligent attempts to prevent mistakes in the first place. This particular threat emerges from within – from the employer’s own workforce in the…
California Employer Agrees to Pay Largest Civil Penalty for Discrimination During the I-9 Process
The Department of Justice announced that Luis Esparza Services, Inc. (LES) had agreed to pay $320,000 to resolve allegations that the company engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination during the I-9 process. In the case at hand, it appears that LES routinely…
The Long Arm of E-Verify Monitoring and Compliance
The latest and greatest E-Verify enhancements for FY2015, include enhanced “data analytics” which enable DHS to closely monitor and prevent potential misuse. Many HR Managers were oblivious to DHS’ Monitoring and Compliance (M&C) branch, and all…
Signing Section 2 of the I-9? Don’t Forget to Read the Fine Print!
Tired of reading about Form I-9 fines and penalties? Looking for a break from E-Verify angst and anxiety? Look no further – for today, John Fay, sheds some light on the enigmatic process of verifying employment eligibility in the U.S. As with most story…
How Should Employers with Multiple Legal Entities Enroll in E-Verify?
When faced with this E-Verify entity conundrum (and impracticality of figuring out who is an employer), many organizations decide to enroll under separate E-Verify accounts because it provides the best and most definitive documentation of E-Verify enrollment at the…
Court Reduces I-9 Fine For Employer Who Retained Supporting Documents
One of the most frequently asked policy decisions about I9s is “should we retain a copy of the “supporting documents” presented by the employee (e.g., driver’s license and social security card)? And if so, will this save us from fines and…
What Happens When An Employee Admits I-9 Documents Were Fraudulent
On January 8, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) issued a technical assistance letter (TAL) in response to an employer’s request for guidance. The employer sought…



