· Law360 · By Allissa Wickham · From the Border Crossing Law Firm media archive.
Law360 reports that an administrative judge reduced ICE's proposed fine against SKZ Harvesting from $74,587 to $29,600 and dismissed the allegation that the Montana cherry company knowingly employed unauthorized workers. The company remained liable for missing and incomplete I-9 forms, many of which had been accidentally discarded. Shahid Haque welcomed the nearly 60 percent reduction while warning that the remaining penalty would still be difficult for the small business to absorb.
The case illustrates the firm's employer-side immigration practice and the disproportionate effect paperwork penalties can have on small seasonal businesses. Shahid succeeded in separating an administrative records failure from the much more serious accusation of knowingly hiring unauthorized workers.