Employment / 1 min read
On March 5, 2025, ICE raided Texas Couplings in Spring, Texas and detained 20 employees. This raid is part of the recent escalation in ICE/DHS enforcement across the Houston area. More than 640 people have been detained by ICE during this enforcement operation which began in late February.
In addition to an escalation in ICE raids, the Houston area has been blanketed with I-9 audits in recent weeks. While I-9 audits do not involve a large enforcement action at your workplace, audits often result in significant fines. Further, if I-9 audits reveal a widespread failure to comply with employer immigration obligations, the chances of a follow up ICE enforcement action increase. Therefore, if you have not recently conducted an independent self-audit of your I-9s and I-9 procedures now is the time to do so. An independent self-audit can bring to light:
- Errors in your I-9s that can still be corrected
- I-9s that you can now legally destroy
- Work authorization recertifications that need to occur
- Improper practices that need to be corrected through training.