ICE detained 20 undocumented migrants at Texas Couplings LLC in Spring, Texas, following an I-9 audit that revealed employment discrepancies. The detainees were taken to Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe.
Twenty undocumented immigrants were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday at Texas Couplings LLC in Spring, Texas, as part of a worksite enforcement action. The arrests happened after an I-9 audit showed that staff records were not matching up.
ICE said the investigation was part of Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) plan to make sure that U.S. employment rules based on the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 were followed. Employers must use the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 to make sure that all new hires are who they say they are and that they are legally allowed to work.
The people who were arrested were taken to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe for administrative immigration crimes, according to officials.
One of the people being held was shocked when her 65-year-old father, who had worked at Texas Couplings for 14 years, was arrested. "We know the rules, but this is terrible." She said, "We don't know what will happen next."
ICE HSI made it clear that their main target is employers who break the law on purpose. They use I-9 audits and civil fines to make businesses follow the rules.
Acts like this at work sites that enforce immigration laws continue to cause debate about immigration policies and how they affect long-term undocumented workers in the United States.
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