Senior Partner Kerry Bretz was interviewed by Business.com for an article on what business owners should do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targets their company for an I-9 audit. Mr. Bretz said that, if the owner is served with an audit, they should contact an immigration law attorney immediately.

“They have three days from receiving a notice of inspection,” Mr. Bretz said of the employers. “Use that time to retain counsel. Counsel will try to have the inspection either at the offices of ICE or the lawyer’s office, not the place of business.”

He also said that, if they do speak to law enforcement, they are urged to tell the truth and follow the rule of law; however, they can challenge any fines levied against their company. “You can contest fines and have a hearing, often done telephonically,” he said. “You can negotiate a lower fine or argue mitigating circumstances. However, once a business has been fined and told they must discharge unauthorized employees, they risk criminal penalties if they continue to employ the person or rehire them, knowing they are unauthorized.”

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