On March 2nd, 2010, 180 businesses were issued Notices of Inspection from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Notice of Inspection warns the business owners that ICE will review and audit their employment records to verify if they are in compliance with I-9 and other eligibility verification laws. To protect the privacy of the targeted businesses, ICE has refused to release the names of the businesses. However, all 180 businesses were located in 5 states, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. ICE has stated that it is focusing its resources on investigating employers suspected of cultivating and knowingly employing illegal aliens. These notices and audits are part of the agency’s “comprehensive strategy” to reduce the demand for illegal employment. Employers should expect to continue to see this kind of action from ICE. ICE press release.
Good news for employers coming from the state of Iowa. The EEOC is required to pay $4.5 million in fees to defendant in a Title VII sexual harassment complaint. The federal district court in Iowa found that the Title VII claim filled by the EEOC was meritless and warranted reimbursement of fees and expenses because the EEOC failed to investigate or conciliate individual harassment claims. The court summarized the EEOC’s strategy as “sue first, ask questions later”, stating that this lawsuit “imposed an unnecessary burden” upon the employer.