Immigration Enforcement: Navigating I9 Audits & Compliance

As someone who’s worked in payroll and HR compliance for years, I’ve never seen employers face more complex challenges than they do today. With increased immigration enforcement actions through ICE and heightened scrutiny around workforce verification, business owners are calling us daily with questions, concerns, and—frankly—fear about doing the right thing.

Let me be clear from the start: this isn’t a political issue for us at Green Payroll. This is about helping employers navigate their legal obligations while treating every worker with dignity and respect.

That’s why I put together this guide for how to navigate immigration enforcement—to help you practice compassion while also staying compliant.

The Current Landscape

Immigration enforcement has intensified, and workplaces across industries are feeling the impact. Whether you’re in hospitality, construction, agriculture, or manufacturing, you may be experiencing:

• Increased I9 audits and worksite enforcement actions
• Workforce disruptions when employees are detained or deported
• Uncertainty about your responsibilities as an employer
• Pressure to “do more” to verify worker status
• Fear of penalties that could devastate your business

The stakes are high. Non-compliance can result in fines ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars per violation, and in severe cases, criminal charges. But overcorrecting—through discriminatory practices or unauthorized reverification—creates equal or greater legal exposure.

What Employers Must Do

Your legal obligations as an employer haven’t changed, but compliance is more critical than ever. Here are some steps to help you audit your internal processes and be better prepared for potential ICE inspection.

1. Complete I9 Forms Properly: Every employee, regardless of appearance, accent, or name, must complete Form I9 within three days of hire. You must examine documents from the approved lists and determine if they reasonably appear genuine.
2. Don’t Discriminate: You cannot ask only certain employees for documents, require specific documents, or reject documents that appear valid. Discrimination based on national origin or citizenship status violates federal law.
3. Maintain Accurate Records: Keep I9 forms for three years after hire or one year after termination, whichever is later. With our iSolved platform, these records are securely stored, automatically tracked, and audit-ready.
4. Respond Appropriately to I9 Audits: If ICE serves a Notice of Inspection, you typically have three business days to produce your I9 forms. Being organized and accurate makes this process manageable rather than catastrophic.

What Employers Must NOT Do

Well-intentioned employers unfortunately often create problems by overstepping. Be careful of these common pitfalls.

• Don’t reverify existing employees unless their work authorization has an expiration date. Blanket reverification is discriminatory and illegal.
• Don’t terminate employees based on assumptions about their immigration status. If you receive a no-match letter or other notice, follow the specific guidance provided—don’t panic and fire people.
• Don’t act as immigration enforcement. You’re not required to question employees about their status beyond the I9 process, and doing so creates liability.
• Don’t require “extra” documents from employees who look or sound foreign. This is the fastest way to a discrimination lawsuit.

The Human Element in Immigration Enforcement

Behind every I9 form is a human being—someone who may be supporting a family, contributing to your business’s success, and trying to build a better life. Many of your workers may be scared right now, even if they have full legal authorization to work.

Here’s how we can balance compassion with compliance:

• Communicate clearly with your workforce about your I9 procedures so employees understand this is standard process, not targeting
• Train managers to avoid discriminatory comments or actions
• Know the difference between an ICE audit (which you must accommodate) and other enforcement actions (where you should consult legal counsel about your obligations)
• Understand that fear in your workplace affects productivity, morale, and retention—address it professionally

Remember: Treating people with respect isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good business.

How Green Payroll Can Help Prepare Your Business for Immigration Enforcement

This is exactly why we invested in iSolved’s comprehensive platform. We’re not just processing paychecks—we’re helping you build compliant, efficient HR systems that protect your business. Here’s what we offer.

I9 Management through iSolved

• Electronic I9 completion with built-in error checking
• Automatic reverification reminders for expiring work authorization
• Secure, searchable storage that’s instantly accessible during audits
• Audit trails showing exactly when forms were completed and by whom

Compliance Support

• Regular updates on changing regulations
• Access to HR professionals who understand immigration compliance
• Training for your management team on non-discriminatory practices
• Guidance when you receive government notices or audit requests

Technology That Protects You

• E-Verify integration (if required in your state or industry)
• Automated compliance alerts and deadlines
• Reporting tools that help you demonstrate good-faith compliance
• Secure cloud-based access to all records from anywhere

Peace of Mind

When that Notice of Inspection arrives, you won’t be scrambling through filing cabinets or incomplete spreadsheets. You’ll log into iSolved, pull up your complete, accurate I9 records, and respond confidently.

Moving Forward

The immigration landscape isn’t going to get simpler. Enforcement priorities shift, regulations evolve, and the political environment creates constant uncertainty. But your obligation remains the same: follow the law, treat people fairly, and protect your business.

You don’t have to navigate this alone. At Green Payroll, we’ve helped hundreds of employers through audits, workforce changes, and compliance challenges. We combine technology, expertise, and a genuine commitment to doing right by both employers and employees.

Whether you’re currently using iSolved or still managing I9s on paper (please don’t!), we’re here to help. We can assess your current compliance, identify vulnerabilities, train your team, and implement systems that make this manageable.

Because at the end of the day, you should be focused on running your business—not lying awake worrying about I9 audits.

Let’s talk about how we can help. Your business, your employees, and your peace of mind are worth it.