Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has issued notices to 652 businesses that it will be inspecting their employment hiring records to determine whether or not they are complying with employment eligibility verification laws and regulations.
ICE said the initiative illustrates an increased focus on holding employers accountable for their hiring practices and efforts to ensure a legal workforce.
"This nationwide effort is a first step in ICE’s long-term strategy to address and deter illegal employment," said DHS assistant secretary for ICE, John Morton.
ICE would only say the businesses were selected as a result of leads and other investigative means and did identify any of them.
In April the agency said it began focusing resources on the auditing and investigation of employers suspected of cultivating illegal workplaces by knowingly employing illegal workers.
