News Releases and Statements

In addition to the recognition of SERVEPRO and Pilot Freight Services, more than 60 Detroit-area employers attended an open house where they heard expert presentations about Form I-9 training, USCIS E-Verify updates, Office of Special Counsel training and fraudulent document detection training.

Houston-based Waste Management of Texas has agreed to forfeit more than $5.5 million and perform remedial measures for a documented pattern and practice of hiring illegal aliens at the company’s Afton, Texas, location.

The Trans Group and its five subsidiary corporations, headquartered in Spring Valley, NY, operate more than 1,300 vehicles, employ well over 2,000 employees and provide transportation services to hundreds of thousands of passengers annually. Applied DNA Sciences (ADNAS), headquartered in Stony Brook, New York, has approximately 61 employees. 

During the search warrant execution, authorities identified 146 Fresh Mark employees working at the Salem meat processor who were subject to arrest for immigration violations.

Anyi “Angie” Artica-Romero, 33, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. Milton Noel Romero, 35, who has been in custody for about 14 months, was sentenced to time served. The defendants were also ordered to forfeit more than $800,000 in illegal proceeds from the scheme. The court also ordered the defendants to pay more than $31,000 in restitution.

From Oct. 1, 2017, through May 4, HSI opened 3,510 worksite investigations; initiated 2,282 I-9 audits; and made 594 criminal and 610 administrative worksite-related arrests, respectively. In comparison, for fiscal year 2017 – running October 2016 to September 2017 – HSI opened 1,716 worksite investigations; initiated 1,360 I-9 audits; and made 139 criminal arrests and 172 administrative arrests related to worksite enforcement.

Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on Monday presented a certificate to Rockwall County to become the first Texas county to become an “IMAGE” member.

Atlanta-based Hojeij Branded Foods (HBF) and its local Detroit joint venture partner, AP United LLC (APU), recently signed an agreement to participate in IMAGE (ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers), a voluntary program in which ICE partners with businesses to reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents.

As the 41^st Arizona business to sign up for IMAGE, Spindle Cooling has agreed to partner with ICE and perform the actions required to obtain IMAGE certification. These actions include conducting a self-assessment of hiring practices to uncover vulnerabilities that could be exploited by unauthorized workers; enrolling in E-verify, an employment eligibility verification program; training staff on IMAGE Best Employment Practices and the use of new screening tools; and undergoing a Form I-9 audit by ICE.

ICE deportation officers and special agents arrested 212 individuals for violating federal immigration laws and served 122 notices of inspection (NOIs) to businesses in the Los Angeles area of responsibility (AOR) during a five-day targeted operation that ended Thursday. Eighty-eight percent of those arrested were convicted criminals.

Ensuring each of its employees is legally authorized to work in the United States is one of many responsibilities facing every American business, from small start-up operations to our country’s largest and most prosperous corporations.

CDF Corporation becomes the eleventh company in Massachusetts to date to sign on to the IMAGE program.

Hazrat Khalid Khan, 58, a Pakistani national residing in Middletown, New York, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and one year of supervised release, and will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. Khan was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,343,155 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and $27,863 to two insurance companies he defrauded.

Joe Neel McGovern, owner of Pappa Yolk’s Grill, located at 5824 Spencer Highway in Pasadena, Texas, has volunteered his company to enter into the IMAGE program. The new partnership was marked by a ceremony Wednesday at the HSI Houston office.

The three owners of La Espiga De Oro (Espiga) — Alfredo Sosa Lira, 72, his wife Lydia Botello-Lira, 68, their daughter Lydia Lira, 25 — and night manager Roberto Guerra, 45, all of Houston, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor violations associated with their continued employment of illegal aliens between October 2011 and August 2015.

To qualify for IMAGE certification, partners agree to conduct a self-assessment of their hiring practices to uncover vulnerabilities that could be exploited by unauthorized workers; enroll in E-verify, an employment eligibility verification program; train staff on IMAGE Best Employment Practices and the use of new screening tools; and undergo a Form I-9 audit by ICE.

SUMCO Phoenix Corporation recently signed an agreement to participate in IMAGE (ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers), a voluntary program in which ICE partners with businesses to reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents. SUMCO received its certificate earlier this month formally marking the firm’s entry into the program.

Rudy Alexander Martinez, 36, and Israel Arquimides Martinez, 44, were convicted by a federal jury April 8, 2016, following a two-week trial and after about six hours of deliberation.  Both were convicted of conspiracy to employ and employing illegal aliens, encouraging and inducing illegal aliens to enter and reside in the United States, and conspiracy to do same; they were also convicted of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence added to any other sentence imposed. Also sentenced March 31 was Ceasar Santiago Arroyo, 51, of Houston, who pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.