SFlaHHRA March 2026 Meeting - The 2026 Enforcement Landscape: "High Alert"

With news broadcasts full of stories of ICE raids, everyone needs to be prepared to get things right.

Hector A. Chichoni is a partner in the Immigration and Naturalization practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. Mr. Chichoni focuses on U.S. immigration and nationality law. With extensive experience in large, complex corporate immigration matters, Mr. Chichoni has managed cases with potential impacts exceeding millions of dollars. He assists clients with immigration audits, and visa procurement (both nonimmigrant and immigrant), and advises non-U.S. companies on establishing U.S. operations for the transfer of key executives, managers, and specialists.

His presentation will cover these key takeaways:

1. Know Your Exposure: Employers must be prepared for ICE, FDNS, and CBP audits, which can occur with little or no notice. Strong internal protocols significantly reduce legal and operational risk. For example, unannounced visits from FDNS officers may visit to verify the accuracy of H-1B, L-1, or other visa petitions (e.g., verifying work location, salary, or job duties), but they may also engage in fishing expeditions for ICE, CBP, W&HD, etc.

2. Get I-9 & E-Verify Right: I-9 errors and E-Verify missteps remain the most common, and most preventable, compliance failures. Routine self-audits and consistent processes protect the organization.

3. Understand Work Authorization Options: Correctly identifying and tracking Parole- and TPS-based work authorization helps prevent unauthorized employment while supporting eligible workers.

4. Increased Audits & Raids: ICE enforcement actions are rising, with a focus on "worksite enforcement" including Notices of Inspection (NOIs) and physical raids to targeted industries and sectors such as construction, hospitality, agriculture, and healthcare are seeing heightened attention.

In addition to our exciting program, Dr. Soyoung Park from FAU will update everyone on the 2026 Wage and Benefits Survey. Many of you have participated in the past and know the value of this information. The more properties that are involved, the better and more helpful the data is for everyone.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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