U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is planning to expand worksite enforcement operations, border czar Tom Homan confirmed in an October 18 Fox News interview, according to reporting published October 21.

Source: Zeale, reporting Homan's Fox News interview

Homan said the worksite enforcement plan had cleared Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative division of ICE, last week. "I know the worksite enforcement plan just cleared last week out of HSI because I asked for the plan," he said, according to the report.

The approach, nicknamed "briefcase enforcement" in the reporting, is described as focusing not only on worksite arrests but also on prosecuting people who allegedly use fraudulent IDs to steal Social Security numbers, and on holding employers accountable. "It's not just about arresting aliens. It's about holding employers accountable so they don't try employing illegal aliens," Homan said.

What happens next

Homan said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin should review the proposed expansion within the next week, according to the report. A second report, summarising LifeZette coverage of the same interview, also said Homan expected the proposal to move quickly and to reach the secretary this week or next.

Source: American Political Report, summarising LifeZette

Under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, employers must verify that new hires are legally eligible to work in the United States, and federal authorities can investigate and sanction employers who hire workers without authorisation, the report noted. No start date, target industries or arrest numbers for the expanded programme were given in the interview as reported.

What is solid

  • Homan said in an October 18 Fox News interview that a worksite enforcement expansion plan had cleared HSI, according to two reports of the interview.
  • Homan said the plan focuses on alleged fraudulent-ID and Social Security number use and on employers who knowingly hire unauthorised workers.

What is only claimed

  • Whether, when and at what scale the expanded enforcement will actually begin depends on Secretary Mullin's review — Homan described a plan awaiting review, not operations already launched.
  • No specific industries, cities or timelines were announced in the interview as reported.