Company president, managers to pay $1.3 million for employing illegal immigrants

Company president, managers to pay $1.3 million for employing illegal immigrants

A Texas baking materials company, specifically the company’s president and three former and current managers, was recently charged for employing illegal immigrants. The charges against the company arose from a criminal investigation initiated by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in January 2008 after learning about allegations in a federal employment discrimination lawsuit, then pending in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas.

Part of ICE’s investigation into the company included interviews with civil plaintiffs, many of whom were illegal immigrantss, and thorough review and analysis of civil suit pleadings, I-9 Employer Review and Verification Forms, and Social Security Administration (SSA) No-Match letters. I-9 forms require an employer to establish an employee’s identity and verify their employment eligibility at the time they are hired.

The criminal information alleges that in April 2008, more than 40 percent of the company’s workforce were illegal immigrants, the majority of I-9s were deficient or completed years after an illegal alien began working for the company, and that the company failed to take corrective measure to ensure the company hired workers authorized to work in the United States after receiving SSA No-Match letters.

Per the terms of the plea agreement, if accepted by the court, the company has agreed to pay the United States $1.3 million in lieu of having their interest in the property forfeited.