The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) focuses on companies that employ illegal immigrants in the United States. In this way, workplaces are targeted as locations for operations to detain undocumented individuals for deportation.
As reported by Telemundo Houston, after an operation at the Texas Couplings LLC company located in Spring, north of Houston, 20 undocumented workers were detained.
The aforementioned media outlet stated that, according to a statement from ICE, they are acting in compliance with the labor laws of the United States to prevent any violations.
The process not only involves the detention of illegal immigrants, but also prosecuting employers for hiring them against the law. Agents conduct audits of the I-9 form (which employers and employees fill out to verify their hiring) and issue civil fines.
With actions in companies, ICE seeks to ensure that they comply with the legal framework. By hiring illegal immigrants, not only do they fail to comply with labor laws by hiring individuals without permission to work in this country, but they also become suspects of other crimes such as human trafficking, money laundering, document fraud, and labor exploitation.
ICE and employers of illegal immigrants
Telemundo Houston reports that following the operation at Texas Couplings LLC., the company is now facing sanctions. The detained workers will have to go through the process to verify their immigration status. It is unknown if there are any criminal charges.
The organization emphasizes that the focus on companies that hire illegal workers also aims to protect the rights of those who do have permission to work in the United States.
In addition, the aim is to protect undocumented individuals from exploitation by those who want to take advantage of their immigration status by paying them less for their contribution to the company.
A report from Witness at the Border revealed that the main countries where the United States deports individuals to are Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. They are followed by Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador. Finally, African nations such as Mauritania, Kenya, and Cameroon, as well as India.