The scorching Texas summer is not the only heat Texas employers are feeling these days. According to a recent article in the Houston Chronicle, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has hit 23 Texas companies with civil fines exceeding $600,000 for hiring unauthorized workers, failing to comply with regulatory employment verification requirements, or
US Immigration
DOJ Challenges Arizona’s Controversial Immigration Law
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a challenge to the state of Arizona’s recently passed immigration law, S.B. 1070, in federal court.
The Arizona law, called the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act and scheduled to take effect on July 29, is already the target of at least five other lawsuits filed…
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Revival?
CIR, Obama, legal immigration…
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Working with ICE: Is it worth the IMAGE?
IMAGE ICE I-9 SSNVS…
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Another Lawsuit Filed Challenging Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070
The list of lawsuits challenging Arizona’s Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (Senate Bill 1070) continues to grow. On May 17, 2010, 14 civil and immigrant-rights groups, along with 10 individuals, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court challenging the constitutionality of Senate Bill 1070. At least five separate lawsuits have been filed…
Sheriff Joe Arpaio Rides Again
While Arizona’s controversial new immigration law, Senate Bill 1070, continues to garner national attention in the months leading up to its July 29 effective date, employers in Arizona must not forget their obligations under the already effective Legal Arizona Workers Act (“LAWA”). LAWA imposes severe penalties on employers who either “knowingly” or “intentionally” hire unauthorized…
DOL’s New Online H-1B Advisor
The Department of Labor has released a new online tool to help employers and employees understand how to comply with the H-1B visa program. This is part of the agency’s new compliance initiatives.
As background, the H-1B non-immigrant visa classification was created under the Immigration and Nationality Act to help U.S. employers who cannot obtain workers …
More Challenges to Arizona Immigration Statute Announced
The city councils of two major Arizona cities – Tucson and Flagstaff – have announced their intentions to file lawsuits to challenge the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (Senate Bill 1070). The Flagstaff City Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution authorizing the lawsuit. The Council described the move as an…
Opposition to Arizona Immigration Law: It’s About Pro-Diversity
While the business community has largely attempted to stay out of the debate surrounding Arizona’s Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (Senate Bill 1070), professional basketball team Phoenix Suns jumps to the center of the debate over the Bill with the team’s decision to wear “Los Suns” jerseys during its playoff game against…
Changes Already Made to Arizona Immigration Statute
The Arizona legislature has already made several changes to its recently enacted immigration statute, Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (Senate Bill 1070). On the legislature’s last day in session, it passed changes to the law, which the Bill’s sponsor, Senator Russell Pearce, stated were intended to clarify that “the bill prohibits racial…