Feds begin immigration crackdown at 625 companies

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration launched investigations of hundreds of businesses around the country Wednesday as part of its strategy to focus immigration enforcement on the employers who hire illegal workers.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has begun notifying businesses of plans to audit their I-9 forms — employment eligibility documents that employers fill out for every worker — the agency told members of Congress in an e-mail Wednesday.

Immigration officers served "Notices of Inspection" to 625 businesses, the Homeland Security Department said. By comparison, 503 such notices were issued to businesses last year, the agency said.

Employers are required to keep the I-9 forms and must check the authenticity of documents provided by the employee. The Homeland Security Department said it would not release the names or locations of businesses being audited.

"ICE is committed to establishing a meaningful I-9 inspection program to promote compliance with the law," John Morton, Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, said. "This nationwide effort is a first step in ICE's longterm strategy to address and deter illegal employment."

President Obama has said his administration's strategy for stemming illegal immigration would focus on employers who hire illegal workers.

The Bush administration was criticized for deploying armed agents to raid businesses and arrest workers suspected of working illegally. Critics said the Bush administration did not do enough to go after the employers.

The Obama administration has been trying to build its credibility on immigration enforcement to boost the chances of Congress passing an immigration reform bill. The administration has doubted whether it has enough votes right now to pass immigration reform. But some members of Congress emerged from a meeting with Obama last week saying immigration reform could be done by the end of the year or early next year.

The I-9 audits are certain to cause concern among employers who have complained that identifying illegal workers is fraught with problems, from recognizing fake identity documents to the risk of violating anti-discrimination laws.