Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced today that it had reached a $40,000 fine settlement with the Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corporation for immigration hiring violations arising from an I-9 audit conducted in 2007. ICE initiated the I-9 inspection after receiving information from the local County Sheriff’s Office which indicated that Krispy Kreme was employing dozens of undocumented workers at one of their doughnut factories in Cincinnati. According to the ICE announcement, the company has agreed to revise its immigration compliance program and begin implementing new procedures to prevent future violations.
As previously reported, ICE announced a major shift in work site enforcement this year by focusing on employers who fail to properly complete the Form I-9. Last week, ICE issued I-9 audit notices to 652 employers across the country with a large percentage going to companies in the Los Angeles, California and Houston, Texas markets.