John Valdez’s Legal Blog

I can remember in the not-too-distant past when interior immigration enforcement was very rare.  Those times are truly fading.

Raids of restaurants, factories, meat plants, farms, and a variety of other businesses are hitting the news was astonishing regularity.  The latest example of this trend was reported this May, when the USCIS announced it had raided Agriprocessors, a meat-processing plant in Postville, Iowa.  Not only were 389 workers arrested, a record 85 defendants pleaded guilty to federal, criminal felonies. 

I don’t think that these sensational raids will seriously reduce illegal immigration.  There are an estimated 12 million undocumented aliens in the United States; a few hundred snared here and there will not cause mass self-deportations. 

I do believe that U.S. firms should be aware of the many immigration regulations and rules pertaining to the employment of foreign nationals.  As the chances of raids and immigration audits increase, the best defense for businesses is proactive efforts to seek compliance with I-9 employment verification rules and visa regulations. 

Smith & Garg’s Long Beach and Houston Immigration Attorneys are well-versed in immigration compliance issues.  We specialize in helping employers take the proper steps to remain out of harms way when it comes to immigration rules.