U.S. immigration agents started an employment audit in which they interviewed workers of several 7-Eleven stores. Officials described this as the most significant operation against an employer under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The investigation began with a four-year-old case against a franchise owner in New York’s Long Island. Audits could lead to charges or fines for the hiring practices of the store.
The operation is the first of many, according to what Derek Benner, a top official at ICE told The Associated Press. He said that although they don’t have a specific goal, there would be more employment audits and investigations.
“It’s not going to be limited to large companies or any particular industry, big medium and small,” he said. “It’s going to be inclusive of everything that we see out there.”
7-Eleven representatives have yet to comment on the situation. Even though ICE agents arrested 21 undocumented workers, the audit focused solely on the management.
Hiring undocumented workers is uncommonly prosecuted because it requires time, and employers can claim they got tricked with fake documents. The Trump administration is seeking “its own kind of unique strategy tied to its broader emphasis on fighting illegal immigration,” Benner said.
Since jobs are the main reason for undocumented people to come to the United States, employers are the targets of many audits. “We need to make sure that employers are on notice that we are going to come out and ensure that they’re being compliant,” Benner said.
7-Eleven said franchise owners, not the corporation, are responsible for verifying whether potential employees are eligible to work in the United States. “As part of the 7-Eleven franchise agreement, 7-Eleven requires all franchise business owners to comply with all federal, state and local employment laws,” the company said in a statement.
ICE completed 98 7-Eleven franchises with notices of inspections of the stores’ I-9 immigration forms, which employers are obligated to maintain on their employees’ status.
This article was inspired by ABC 7 // 7-Eleven immigration probe targets stores in LA and nationwide