Comprehensive employment eligibility verification programs, audit defense, and compliance training for employers of all sizes.
Employment eligibility verification compliance is critical for every U.S. employer. With increasing ICE worksite enforcement and substantial civil penalties for violations, proactive compliance programs are essential.
We conduct comprehensive internal audits of your I-9 records, identifying technical violations and substantive errors before government inspectors do. Our remediation strategies minimize exposure while maintaining workforce stability.
When ICE issues a Notice of Inspection, immediate response is critical. We guide employers through the audit process, negotiate with government counsel, and advocate for reduced penalties.
We assist employers with E-Verify enrollment, training, and ongoing compliance. For federal contractors and employers in mandatory E-Verify states, proper implementation is essential.
Customized training programs for HR personnel and hiring managers, along with comprehensive I-9 policies and procedures tailored to your organization's needs.
Employers generally have three business days to produce Forms I-9 after an ICE Notice of Inspection. Call counsel the same day. Use those days to organize the files, not to correct them: never backdate or alter a form, and preserve payroll and E-Verify records.
Read the three day checklistIn March 2026, ICE reclassified about fifteen common I-9 errors, including missing dates and undated Sections 1 or 2, from technical to substantive violations. Substantive violations are fined without a correction period.
Read our briefing| Civil Penalty Ranges | |
|---|---|
| Paperwork violations | $288 to $2,861 per form |
| Knowingly hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized workers | $716 to $28,619 per worker, rising with each offense |
| Unfair documentary practices | $236 to $2,364 per individual, plus back pay |
Protect your business with a comprehensive I-9 compliance review before problems arise.
Schedule Strategy SessionWe meet with HR or in-house counsel to define the workforce, locations and risk.
Forms and supporting records are gathered at counsel's direction.
Every Form I-9 is checked against current ICE standards.
A privileged report with a correction protocol.
Errors are corrected properly and HR staff are trained.
A yearly check keeps the program current.
A former prosecutor and formidable trial attorney, Maeve commands complex federal and state litigation with an insider's mastery of courtroom and prosecutorial strategy.
View Full BioI-9 paperwork violations currently carry civil fines of $288 to $2,861 per form, and knowingly hiring or continuing to employ unauthorized workers runs from $716 to $28,619 per worker. Why the 2025 amounts still apply in 2026, how ICE sets a fine, and how to run a self audit without making things worse.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026A Notice of Inspection gives an employer at least three business days to produce its Forms I-9 and supporting records. What you produce, what you must never do, and how the notices that follow work, day by day.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 25, 2026ICE moved roughly fifteen categories of I-9 error from technical to substantive on March 16, 2026 by editing a web page. Each one is now immediately fineable at $288 to $2,861 per form.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 2, 2026Project Firewall lets the Secretary of Labor personally certify reasonable cause and open an H-1B investigation with no complaint at all. By November 2025, DOL indicated at least 175 were underway.
Maeve Healy, Esq.Accurate as of September 2, 2026Reviewed by Maeve Healy, Esq.. Last updated .