Houston-based company fined $2 million for illegal hires

press release on the departments website. Investigation According to the press release, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents began investigating ABC Professional Tree Services Inc. (ABC) in 2008 following complaints that a significant portion of the company’s employees were undocumented aliens. HIS agents reviewed the Employment Eligibility Verification Forms – known as “Form I-9” – and other documentation for approximately 2,500 employees at the company. As of the second quarter of 2009, the inspection had revealed that “a significant number of employees” – about 30 percent of the workforce – consisted of undocumented aliens who had presented invalid personal identification information when hired. In March 2010, HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at ABC’s Houston headquarters and seized employment and personnel records. The government’s investigation revealed the company “ignored federal law by falsely attesting on I-9s that work authorization documents presented by new hires appeared genuine” and received notices from the Social Security Administration known as “no-match letters” indicating employee names and Social Security numbers did not match SSA records. $2 million fine Seeing as ABC derived approximately $2 million in revenue with its illegal workforce, the figure represents the amount of money that the company forfeited under its non-prosecution agreement with the government. Since the investigation, ABC has “imposed significant immigration compliance measures” that includes the use of E-Verify, an Internet-based system that allows employers to verify the legal work authorization status of newly hired employees to work in the United States For more information, you can read the full press release here.]]>