According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a record number of companies faced Form I-9 inspections in 2012, resulting in the audit of more than 3,000 employers in 2012 alone. Concurrently, recently released ICE data shows that fines levied by the agency totaled almost $13 million between fiscal 2009 to 2012, with the number of company managers arrested reaching 238.

According to ICE, the bolstered enforcement effort, which entails comparing payroll records and information found on Forms I-9 with employees’ data in government databases, emphasizes “compliance and deterrence.” According to Brian Bench, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Seattle, Wash., office, “[I]f companies know we're out there, looking across the board, they're more likely to bring themselves into compliance."