ICE Audits Are Here — No One’s Off the Radar

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, for-profit or non-profit, a restaurant chain or an educational institution — ICE audits are here. And they’re accelerating.

Two recent cases highlight just how serious this is:

• Market Basket — which I covered in my last post. I shop there myself, so I’ve seen the impact firsthand.
• Harvard University — right here in my backyard, where many of my friends work and study.

Last month, Harvard — the fifth-largest employer in Massachusetts — received a “notice of inspection” from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ordering them to turn over thousands of I-9 employment eligibility forms for current and recent employees.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about enforcement. If ICE can audit Harvard and Market Basket, your business could be next.

Why This Matters

I-9 audits used to be rare. That’s changed. ICE issued over 6,000 audit notices last year alone.

And the financial risk is real:

• Fines now reach $3,000 per violation.
• A company with 500 employees and just a 10% error rate could face $150,000+ in penalties.
• Harvard, with roughly 20,000 employees, faces potential liability in the millions.

These aren’t just “big company problems.” I see small businesses get caught every week — restaurants, contractors, nursing homes, staffing agencies.

Common Mistakes Employers Make

Most fines come from simple errors:

• Missing or incomplete I-9 forms
• Incorrect document details or signatures
• Late or unverified records
• Paper-based processes without audit trails

These issues pile up fast, especially in high-turnover industries like hospitality, healthcare, retail, logistics, and staffing.

How to Protect Yourself

ICE isn’t slowing down — but you can get ahead of it:

Centralize & Digitize I-9s
Use a secure digital platform to standardize onboarding and flag errors before they happen.

Conduct Internal Audits
Catch gaps before DHS does. Don’t wait for a “notice of inspection.”

Train Your Hiring Managers
Most mistakes come from inconsistent onboarding practices.

Have an ICE-Ready Plan
Know where your I-9s are stored, who handles audits, and how to respond quickly.

My Takeaway

I’ve been talking to employers every week about this. Most think, “We’re fine, we’ve never been audited.” But Harvard thought the same thing. So did Market Basket.

The reality: Your risk is already in your filing cabinet.

We help businesses get ICE-ready with smarter compliance tools, faster audits, and an ICE Response Playbook that helps you uncover potential risks in minutes.

Want a copy? Drop a comment or send me a DM.

Hashtags

#ICEAudit #I9Compliance #HRCompliance #WorkforceManagement #HarvardAudit #MarketBasket #EmploymentVerification #DHS #EVerify #VerifiID #Harvard