1,000 More Companies to be Audited by ICE for Possibly Hiring Illegal Aliens

Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced on Wednesday that they have notified 1,000 companies that the government will inspect their hiring records. The notifications are part of the Obama Administrations efforts to go after employers that hire illegal workers.

The  new round of notifications brings the number of companies audited by the federal government up to 2,338 since October 1 of last year. Most notably, the Administration’s efforts have led to hundreds of illegal workers being fired by the Chipotle chain of restaurants.

Employers facing audits could face thousands of dollars in fines and possible penalties if it’s found that they evaded taxes or engaged in identity theft.

Employers that were notified must send copies of I-9 employment-eligibility forms over to ICE. ICE will not release the companies that received notifications since the investigation is still ongoing, but the agency has said companies in food production, information technology, financial services, and construction could be affected.