The business community is invited to participate in a voluntary collaborative program with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement aimed at enhancing and improving hiring practices to reduce the size of the illegal workforce, according to speakers at a May 15 seminar at HEC.

One key part of the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program is enrollment in the federal government’s E-Verify program. Senior Special Agent at ICE, Murray Acosta noted that the other requirements to participate in the IMAGE program includes submitting to an I-9 audit by ICE, providing a summary of the company’s current hiring practices, and reviewing and signing an official IMAGE partnership agreement with ICE. The company would also have to agree to verify the Social Security numbers of their current workers via the Social Security Number Verification Service.

To learn more about IMAGE, contact Special Agent Kapi Muraoka at (808) 541-2623 x 121 or e-mail kapi.muraoka@dhs.gov.

As a reminder, E-Verify participation will be mandatory for federal contractors with contracts containing an E-Verify clause on or after June 30, 2009. USCIS Outreach Deputy Chief Francine Hill recommends that federal contractors check with their contracting officer.