Working in coordination with the firm's national agribusiness group, our immigration team provides key preventative and responsive immigration compliance guidance to agriculture clients, who typically employ a diverse workforce. Our immigration compliance practice, led by an experienced trial lawyer who spent nearly a decade prosecuting worksite enforcement cases for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides agricultural clients with the following services:
- Defense and representation in U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) civil and criminal workplace investigations and Form I-9 audits
- Providing assistance with regulatory compliance, including non-discriminatory hiring practices and Form I-9 employment eligibility verification best practices
- Representation of key executives or managers involved with criminal indictments or immigration detention and removal proceedings
- Identifying visa options for critical personnel and preparing and filing such visa petitions in most visa categories
- Developing response plans for agricultural businesses that would be greatly impacted by an invasive enforcement action conducted on worksite premises by law enforcement agencies
- Providing training to HR staff related to I-9 compliance and employment eligibility verification training, the proper response and handling of Social Security Administration correspondence, and the use of E-Verify
- Lobbying and policy advocacy services related to government affairs on immigration policy and regulations at state and federal levels of government
