Dallas I-9 Compliance Lawyer

Across every city and state in the U.S., employers and employees must complete and submit Form I-9 to authorize the employment of all employees under an employer, whether domestic or foreign. To help maintain compliance with U.S. government requirements for I-9 forms, consider hiring a Dallas I-9 compliance lawyer.

The talented immigration attorneys at Monty & Ramirez have experience representing clients who undergo immigration raids, inspections, and audits, helping them maintain compliance to avoid potential liability and legal consequences for I-9 violations.

What Is Form I-9?

Employee Eligibility Form I-9 is a document that verifies employment eligibility for all of an employer’s workers, including American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other employees. Both employers and employees must properly complete and file Form I-9 on time to avoid audits, fines, and other penalties for violations. Employees will need to complete Section 1 of the form on their first day, while employers must complete Section 2 within three business days of the worker’s first day on the job.

The employer must examine and keep copies of acceptable documentation proving the employee is authorized to work in the U.S. The I-9 instructions contain a list of acceptable documents, and an employee must provide either one document from List A or one document each from Lists B and C. An employer must accept any documents that conform to the requirements, and cannot require employees to provide a specific type of proof if they have another qualifying document.

The employer must then retain the I-9 Form and the copies of supporting documentation until one year after the worker leaves the employer or three years after the date of hire, whichever is later. The file should be shredded once the one-year post-employment period has passed. An I-9 compliance attorney in Dallas could help review this documentation to ensure compliance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requirements and help an employer implement procedures to minimize risk and ensure future compliance.

Does ICE Have the Right to Inspect I-9s?

Employers sometimes do not pay enough attention to the rules regarding I-9s. They may not prioritize regular internal audits and I-9 compliance training. That oversight can lead to problems if ICE selects the workplace for an I-9 inspection.

An employer will receive a Notice of Inspection and may have as little as 72 hours to produce the requested documents. ICE is likely to request payroll records and personnel files as well as the I-9s. Dallas employers who receive a Notice of Inspection should contact an I-9 compliance attorney immediately.

Employers sometimes conduct a rushed review of their records before turning them over to ICE, who may then find errors. Improper error correction causes more harm. When correcting an error, strike through the erroneous entry, add the correct information, and date the correction accurately. However, never backdate a document or a correction.

Common Errors I-9 Inspections Reveal

During an audit, ICE officers scrutinize I-9s and the supporting proof of work authorization, then cross-reference this information against employment and payroll records. They frequently find errors and will issue a Notice indicating the type of error and the action they require of the employer. ICE will issue a Notice of Compliance if the inspection reveals no irregularities.

For decades, immigration enforcement authorities allowed employers to correct paperwork or procedural errors during the inspection or shortly thereafter. However, ICE issued guidance in 2026 that reclassifies many errors as substantive that were once designated as procedural. The reclassification means that an employer could be subject to substantial immediate penalties for errors in the paperwork of employees who are authorized to work in the U.S.

Paperwork Violations

These are relatively minor problems ICE noted with the paperwork or employer procedures. Some common examples of technical or procedural violations include failures to:

• Ensure the employee lists any other last names they use
• Use the version of the I-9 Form current at the time of hiring
• Provide the employer’s current business address on the form

Employers have 10 business days to correct these errors that ICE identifies.

Substantive Violations

Discrepancies are treated more seriously and are subject to immediate fines. Some examples of substantive violations include:

• An employee failing to complete the Form I-9
• The employee failing to include their date of birth
• The employee not signing and dating the form
• An inadequate description of the documents the employee presented as their proof of authorization to work in the U.S.
• The failure to timely complete reverification of Supplement B

An employer is subject to immediate fines without an opportunity to correct when ICE discovers substantive violations. The best way for an employer to avoid violations is to work with an experienced I-9 compliance attorney in Dallas. They can perform a confidential audit to identify areas of risk, help make any necessary corrections to existing records, and train HR staff in best practices to ensure continued compliance.

Potential Penalties for I-9 Violations

ICE is responsible for enforcing I-9 compliance, and if it intends to assess civil penalties for I-9 violations, it will issue a Notice of Intent to Fine. If an employer or employee provides incorrect information on these forms, the employee or organization could face certain penalties.

The type of penalty depends on the violation. For instance, employers may need to pay fines of $281 to $2,789 for I-9 paperwork violations, including intentionally providing false information and failing to make any necessary changes to incorrect information. Employers could also face fines of $698 to $5,579 if the government finds that they knowingly recruited, referred, or rehired any unauthorized employees who are not U.S. citizens. Fines could be even higher for repeat offenses.

Employers should keep in mind that even if a previous violation occurred long ago, ICE could still count any additional offenses as “subsequent” to that previous incident, leading to even steeper fines. Employers have the right to request an administrative hearing to contest any fines. When ICE believes it has evidence of intentional hiring of unauthorized workers, it can refer the case for criminal charges. To avoid these penalties and potential criminal consequences, it may benefit you to work with an I-9 compliance lawyer in Dallas who has plenty of experience handling these types of cases.

How an I-9 Compliance Lawyer Could Help

The following are some of the specific ways an I-9 compliance attorney could assist employers throughout the hiring and employment process:

• Providing representation for employers when they face ICE raids with a Notice of Inspections
• Training for employers on I-9 and immigration compliance
• Compliance auditing to assess whether an employer risks compliance issues
• Form I-9 oversight and electronic verification implementation
• The development and enforcement of immigration policies and best practices
• Contesting ICE’s Notices of Intent to Fine
• Performing due diligence when hiring and managing large workforces

Reliable I-9 compliance attorneys in Dallas will be able to determine your specific needs and tailor their legal services to meet them. They may also be able to help with other aspects of employment, such as business-related litigation, state and federal government investigations, and union and labor issues.

Connect With a Dallas I-9 Compliance Attorney for Assistance Today

Want to make sure your business remains compliant with Form I-9 requirements? Hiring an experienced Dallas I-9 compliance lawyer could give you the representation you need to avoid facing serious legal repercussions for non-compliance.

If you would like assistance with I-9 compliance today, reach out to the team at Monty & Ramirez and discuss how we can assist your business during a free consultation.