CBP Reports Immigration Issues with C-TPAT Partners
CBP has recently dealt with some non-compliance with immigration laws by Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) members, the agency said in a bulletin dated Jan. 31. "In some recent validations, instances have been identified where partners are not in compliance with U.S. immigration law," the bulletin said. Members may have benefits suspended or removed for such issues, it said.
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Employers in the U.S. are required to complete Form I-9 to document all new employees, whether an immigrant or not. "As a voluntary program with the trade community, the C-TPAT program does not issue fines or penalties if a violation of the I-9 requirement is identified during a C-TPAT validation," said CBP "If such a violation is identified, the Supply Chain Security Specialist will provide guidance and resources to the Partner on how to address the issue, and inform the Partner of the necessary actions to be taken to come into compliance. However, if a Partner undergoes an I-9 inspection by another government agency, employers may be fined by that agency if the form is not complete."