Jul 5

Written by: The VISANOW Legal Team
7/5/2011 8:27 AM 

The Pacific Steel Casting Company, the fourth largest steel industry in the nation, is undergoing an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for highly suspicious activity involving hiring illegal aliens.  Based in Berkeley, California, the steel company is being forced by ICE to submit I-9 forms for all 500 employees in three days.  ICE is also asking the employers for all I-9 forms from the past 12 months from the steel company, even if the employees have left or been fired. As a very diverse employer with about 30 different types of nationalities on staff, the company is concerned about the ramifications of the I-9 audit on their employees and the Berkeley community.
 

I-9 raids are likely to continue, and companies should take steps now to ensure compliance. Contact us to learn more about VISANOW’s compliance services.
 

The Pacific Steel Casting Company is concerned about what the audit could affect their employees, company ramifications, as well as the Berkeley community, since it is a very liberal populace that is known to welcome all nationalities to their community.  Pacific Steel is very involved in the Berkeley community in many ways, one of the most important, by cleaning the environment.  As one of Berkeley’s main revenue sources, with $60 million in assets, the ramifications of Pacific Steel’s I-9 audit could have a significant negative impact on the Berkeley community and economy. Another company that had been investigated for I-9 compliances, American Apparel, never seemed to recover from having to dismiss 10% of its workforce.  
 

Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/figgenhoffer/