At our Board of Directors meeting last week, Shawn Packer, a DC Based attorney gave a talk regarding the recent increase in ICE activity around the country. Over the next few weeks, we’ll outline a number of things you can do to prepare for ICE or similar raids before they happen (if they ever happen).
Yesterday, Progressive Farming published a very good article on this very topic. The guest that was being interviewed is Chris Schulte. Chris is another well known attorney in the ag employer community. Mr. Schulte and Mr Packer gave the same advice. I encourage you to read the article linked below. It is a good starting point for preparing for ICE Activity.
The first thing to do is to get to know the I-9 intimately. This form has a manual M-274 that is a wealth of information. There are a lot of legal articles online as well. Take some time to know the form and the manual and then do your own self-audit of your current I-9’s. Once you do that (or bring in a third party to help), you will be ready for the seasonal hires coming in. You’ll know what to look for in mistakes, how to correct them, what is acceptable and what is not.
Of course we want everyone to be able to hire who you would like but the risks are higher than the rewards. With ICE activity on the rise, a large influx of cash for additional agents and enforcement activities, and the public perception that agriculture and construction are easy targets we need to be prepared. Take some time to get your house in order right now before the craziness of the season begins.
Please read the article above and start your own I-9 Audit.
www.uscis.gov/i-9 for I-9 information and the M-274 manual.