Immigration Enforcement in Beaufort County

According to an article by Michael Welles Shapiro on http://www.islandpacket.com/, Beaufort County, SC has been checking businesses' employee immigration documents. The article stated that the most severe penalty under the county ordinance is taking away the license of the business, though this has not occurred yet. It also mentions that the county's sheriff has established an ICE task force that will have the ability to enforce immigration laws. The article did not mention any specific enforcement actions taking place on Hilton Head Island. Rather, it was implied that the audits occurred only in unincorporated parts of the county.

It is important to note that under federal law employers are required to maintain proper documentation regarding the work authorization of their employees regardless of whether they employ immigrants. In other words, even if an employer has only U.S. citizen employees, proper documentation (I-9 Forms) must be maintained. Employers who would like to verify that they are compliant with federal immigration regulations should contact a qualified immigration lawyer.