USCIS and DOJ announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last week that formalizes their joint effort to identify, investigate, and eliminate employer fraud and abuse, and to prosecute employers who discriminate against Americans by favoring foreign workers. The memorandum will improve methods of sharing information and collaboration between the agencies and implement better ways for them to training each other's investigators.
The MOU expands on the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, a joint-effort by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division and USCIS to crack down on employer discrimination and misuse of E-Verify. The initiative was formed in an effort to uphold Pres. Trump's 'Buy American, Hire American' executive order.
"In the spirit of President Trump's Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American, today's partnership adds to the Civil Rights Division's tools to stop employers from discriminating against U.S. workers by favoring foreign visa workers," Acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Civil Rights Division said. "The Division looks forward to expanding its partnerships with USCIS to hold accountable employers that discriminate against U.S. workers based on their citizenship status."
The MOU requires that the agencies exchange information elements that "... include, but are not limited to, employer name, employer address and type of immigration benefit associated with the employer."
USCIS Director Francis Cissna stated that MOU is part of a continuing effort to protect "the integrity of our immigration system."
"Protecting and maintaining the integrity of our immigration system remains a key priority for me, and underpins the exceptional work of the professionals at USCIS," Cissna said. "This agreement enhances the level of coordination among investigators who often work on the same issues at different agencies. Breaking down silos and working with our federal partners to combat employment discrimination will help ensure that U.S. workers have the advocate they need at the highest level.
"This agreement enhances the level of coordination among investigators who often work on the same issues at different agencies ... Breaking down silos and working with our federal partners to combat employment discrimination will help ensure that U.S. workers have the advocate they need at the highest level."
For more on this story, see uscis.gov.
