What every Restaurateur and Retailer should know about Immigration: 10 Steps to Compliance

Federal immigration officials are stepping up efforts to crack down on the hiring of illegal workers, but there are steps restaurant operators can take to protect themselves, employment attorney Daniel Ramirez told attendees at the NRA Show. A partner with the Houston-based law firm Monty & Ramirez LLP, Ramirez outlined the top ten strategies operators should be taking today.

In 2011, 624 employers were arrested for hiring undocumented workers, up from 433 the year before, he said. Since 2009, U.S. employers have paid out more than $76 million in financial sanctions.

A key issue is whether employers knowingly hired unauthorized workers. Ramirez said there is “actual knowledge,” when a worker tells the employer he or she is undocumented, and there’s “constructive knowledge,” when a reasonable person can figure out a worker isn’t in compliance.

10 Steps to protect your operation from immigration non-compliance