U.S. Prosecutors Ordered To Prioritize Workplace Immigration Enforcement

The Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement at U.S. businesses. Specifically, federal prosecutors have been ordered to prioritize the prosecution of “immigration-related violations,” according to a recent memo from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to all U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) employees. The memo tasks U.S. attorneys’ offices with using “all available criminal statutes to combat the flood of illegal immigration … and to continue to support the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration and removal initiatives.”

The offices are also required to track and report immigration-related cases and convictions.  

Under the new policy, employers that knowingly hire foreign workers who lack work authorization will face heightened risks of criminal prosecution. According to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the law firm Fisher Phillips:

• There will be more criminal investigations into employers found to have committed workplace immigration violations, even unintentional ones;
• DOJ will prioritize enforcement at companies with a history of noncompliance; and
• The federal government will lean on state and local authorities to investigate and pursue violations and employers that obstruct investigation efforts, which can include simply failing to comply or cooperate, could face criminal charges; and

The NAM also noted, “Prosecution will not be limited to large companies.”