In November 2022, the Biden administration up to date an online web page on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) web site to take away a protracted listing of employers collaborating in ICE’s Mutual Settlement between Authorities and Employers (IMAGE) program. Launched in July 2006, IMAGE is designed — as initially defined at ICE’s web site — to “fight illegal employment and cut back vulnerabilities that assist unlawful aliens acquire such employment”. The Biden administration modified “unlawful aliens” to “undocumented noncitizens”, however not too long ago did an entire overhaul of the language. Now, ICE explains that enrollment in IMAGE “offers employers with options to hiring course of challenges by way of outreach and training with the objective of fostering workforce integrity and compliance with the legislation”. I’ve written in regards to the earlier edits to the IMAGE webpage, right here and right here.

All employers ought to contemplate turning into IMAGE-certified. Employers who enroll in this system obtain coaching from ICE and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) on hiring procedures, together with the right way to detect fraudulent paperwork, the right way to use E-Confirm, and the right way to keep away from discrimination in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. IMAGE-certified employers are unlikely to face an ICE worksite investigation, arrest of their illegal workers, and subsequent prosecution.

The newest adjustments to the IMAGE web site embody a number of notable updates and one vital addition.

References to unlawful aliens have been dropped and almost all references to ICE have been dropped as effectively; rather than ICE, it now reads HSI, which isn’t essentially an issue since IMAGE is managed by Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), a division inside ICE. It seems the hassle is aimed toward making IMAGE look much less like an immigration-enforcement-focused program within the hope that extra companies will take part. After all, the “I” in IMAGE stands for “ICE” and the web site does embody this line: “Knowingly hiring undocumented noncitizens is against the law and will probably be penalized.” Alternatively, it could be that eradicating references to ICE is a part of a half-baked effort by HSI to distance itself from ICE, usually (an impulse which has proven itself earlier than).

There are additionally now references to baby labor, which isn’t any shock in mild of the explosion in unlawful alien baby labor that the Biden administration has created with its reckless anti-border insurance policies, mentioned in additional element right here and right here.

However probably the most vital addition is definitely a return of knowledge that was beforehand scrubbed by the Biden administration, and that’s a listing of a few of the employers which have grow to be IMAGE licensed. A screencap of that listing is under in case it disappears sooner or later. These employers must be counseled for working to adjust to federal legislation and keep away from illegal hiring practices.

Any employers searching for extra info on IMAGE ought to contact ICE by filling out this way.