EL PASO, Texas — Two El Paso companies on Wednesday partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) to strengthen their company hiring practices and scale back unauthorized employment.
Transmountain Corral LLC, DBA Golden Corral, and Access Communications Group LLC, partnered with “IMAGE”, or ICE Mutual Agreement between Government Employers. The buffet-style restaurant and communications agency joined greater than 15 different companies which might be IMAGE companions within the SAC El Paso space of duty, which extends from Alpine, Texas, to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“HSI welcomes and commends these two companies for his or her dedication in the direction of not solely defending the integrity of their workforce however upholding greatest practices in the case of hiring,” mentioned Frank B. Burrola, particular agent answerable for HSI El Paso. “Companies who select to hitch IMAGE assist scale back unauthorized employment and using fraudulent id paperwork that may put our nationwide safety in danger.”
Undocumented employees could safe jobs via fraudulent means, reminiscent of presenting false paperwork, finishing fraudulent profit functions and stealing the id of authorized U.S. employees. The IMAGE program helps fight illegal employment and scale back vulnerabilities that assist noncitizens acquire such employment.
“HSI is dedicated to upholding the legal guidelines that govern labor exploitation. These legal guidelines assist shield jobs for U.S. residents and others who’re lawfully employed, scale back the motivation of unlawful migration, remove unfair aggressive benefits for corporations that rent an unlawful workforce, and finally assist strengthen public security and nationwide safety,” SAC Burrola mentioned.
Transmountain Corral LLC, DBA Golden Corral, is an American restaurant chain that provides an all-you-can-eat buffet and grill. It’s a privately held firm headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with areas in 43 U.S. states. The Transmountain location employs 56 employees.
Established in 1996, ACG has been in enterprise for over 24 years. A minority owned enterprise. ACG manages large-scale and small-scale tasks from development and safety cameras to IT engineering and audio visible providers. Its prospects embrace the Division of the Inside, Division of Protection, German Air Power, NASA, in addition to a number of faculty districts. It has 27 workers.
Julio Chairez, common supervisor of the Transmountain Golden Corral, and Ana Espinoza, president and CEO of ACG, represented their corporations on Wednesday’s formal signing occasion with SAC Burrola.
“We determined to grow to be an IMAGE accomplice to assist our firm improve our new-hire compliance and enterprise practices,” Chairez mentioned. “We advocate all small companies to hitch IMAGE to keep away from pricey fines on account of I-9 non-compliance and/or doc errors. IMAGE appealed to us as a result of it’s completely free, and we have a look at it as a device or service offered by HSI to assist educate us as employers.”
Espinoza, who has taken benefit of IMAGE trainings provided by HSI, mentioned: “As a small enterprise that’s rising quickly, we want to verify we keep in compliance. Alongside the journey to grow to be an IMAGE accomplice, now we have realized invaluable classes and the help provided to us was unparalleled! We’re grateful that we have been in a position to be taught and keep away from frequent pitfalls rising companies might even see when their focus is just not on compliance. The IMAGE program is one I’d advocate to any and all companies – massive or small. IMAGE trainings I attended gave me the chance to see the deficiencies and dangers we could have taken if we didn’t accomplice with IMAGE.”
To qualify for IMAGE certification, companions should comply with the next circumstances:
- conduct a self-assessment of their hiring practices to uncover vulnerabilities that might be exploited by unauthorized employees;
- enroll in E-Verify, an employment eligibility verification program;
- prepare workers on IMAGE Finest Employment Practices and using new screening instruments; and
- bear a Form I-9 audit by ICE.
The IMAGE program was introduced in July 2006 to help employers develop a safer and secure workforce. It additionally enhances fraudulent doc consciousness via schooling and coaching.
IMAGE now affords a proper membership certification program that focuses on distinctive employers which have the flexibility to impact change inside their business or area. These employers additionally serve for instance and function mannequin within the enterprise group whereas highlighting the significance and viability of immigration compliance.
All IMAGE members should take part within the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) E-verify employment eligibility verification program. By means of this program, employers can confirm that newly employed workers are eligible to work in the US. This internet-based system is accessible all through the nation and is free to employers. It offers an automatic hyperlink to the Social Safety Administration database and DHS immigration data.
Upon enrollment in and dedication to the IMAGE Finest Employment Practices, program contributors are deemed “IMAGE licensed,” a distinction DHS and HSI imagine will grow to be an business commonplace. IMAGE additionally offers free coaching to all employers on the provisions surrounding their Types I-9 fraudulent doc detection and constructing a stable immigration compliance mannequin.
IMAGE members can even be taught concerning the significance of avoiding discrimination in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act’s anti-discrimination provision §274B.8U.S.C.§1324b.
The Workplace of Particular Counsel for Immigration-Associated Unfair Employment Practices enforces the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act § 274B, 8 U.S.C. § 1324b. This statute prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a payment that’s based mostly on a person’s nationwide origin or citizenship standing. The statute additionally prohibits discrimination throughout the employment eligibility verification (Kind I-9 and E-Confirm) course of (doc abuse), and retaliation or intimidation.
Firms considering extra data on the IMAGE program can go to ICE.gov/image.
HSI El Paso conducts IMAGE-training shows. The coaching periods are free to employers after making a reservation.
For extra data, El Paso enterprise homeowners ought to contact the HSI El Paso IMAGE coordinator at (915) 857-6150 or (915) 857-6370.
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of DHS, accountable for investigating transnational crime and threats, particularly these prison organizations that exploit the worldwide infrastructure via which worldwide commerce, journey, and finance transfer. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 workers consists of greater than 7,100 particular brokers assigned to 220 cities all through the US, and 80 abroad areas in 53 nations. HSI’s worldwide presence represents DHS’s largest investigative regulation enforcement presence overseas and one of many largest worldwide footprints in U.S. regulation enforcement.
Be taught extra about HSI El Paso’s exercise in your group at @HSIElPaso