ICE Workplace Raids Continue; Will Comprehensive Immigration Reform be Put Back on the Table
In its April 21, 2008 edition, the Houston Chronicle reports on what many businesses are already learning the hard way – that ICE workplace enforcement of immigrant law is way up and still increasing. ICE raided the Shipley Do-Nuts warehouse complex in Houston last week as a part of a very concerted effort at what is calls “interior enforcement” of the law.
The raid followed another high profile ICE raid of a chain of Mexican restaurants in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio in which the owner of the restaurant chain and nine of his managers were arrested on criminal charges.
The raids appear to be part of an effort by the Administration to get comprehensive immigration reform back on Congress’ agenda. The Administration’s thinking may be that if the raids make life so untenable for everyone - - the undocumented workers, the business community, local politicians who feel enforcement has been hoisted on them - - then maybe everyone will come back to the table and talk about real and comprehensive reform. Company owners, managers (including middle managers) and supervisors, human resources managers, union business agents are all being targeted; they are hardly immune from prosecution. Worksite criminal arrests by ICE increased to 863 in 2007 from 176 in fiscal year 2005 which is an increase of 490 percent.
We’ll see. But in the meantime, employers and undocumented employees have to understand that the USCIS is serious about enforcing immigration laws related to hiring undocumented workers and the penalties are harsh.
