I-9 AUDIT FOIA REQUEST

On September 8, 2011, two local unions and one international union (the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union Local 164B, the Service Employees International Union United Service Workers West (“USWW”), the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union) along with the ACLU-NC and a newspaper outlet submitted a request for information to the federal government seeking records pertaining to workplace immigration enforcement operations including -9 audits. 

This request is in response to announcements by ICE in February and June of this year to audit 2,000 employers total.  While DHS policy on worksite enforcement is to target those employers who violate labor and employment laws and thus exploit a vulnerable unauthorized workforce, it appears that many of the targets of these workplace enforcement investigations by DHS are not the unscrupulous or bad apple employers.  To the contrary, worksites that have been targeted include employers that are trying to do the right thing such as abiding by industry standards and complying with state and federal employment laws.  In many cases, targeted employers have been parties to existing collective bargaining agreements with labor unions where workers are paid a living wage and have further protected workplace rights.  These audits have a detrimental impact to local businesses, the economy, and workers in the U.S.

Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld attorneys Monica Guizar and Conchita Lozano-Batista submitted the request on behalf of the union requestors.