I-9 Fines Increased

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that it would be increasing the fines for Form I-9 errors and other common violations of federal immigration law. The news of the penalty increases comes as the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has pledged to quadruple worksite inspections, which includes auditing Forms I-9. This form is used to verify an employee’s identity and to also establish if a worker is eligible for employment in the United States. Even small errors can quickly add up, and penalties have increased more than 1,100 percent since 2007. Effective April 2, 2018: • Minimum fine for Form I-9 errors increased from $220 to $224 • Maximum fine for Form I-9 errors increased from $2,191 to $2,236 • Maximum civil penalties for violation of Immigration and Naturalization Act (INA) sections 274C(a)(1)-(a)(4), penalty for first offense increased from $3,621 to $3,695 • Maximum penalty for third or subsequent offense (per unauthorized alien) increased from $21,916 to $22,363