For the first time in more than a decade, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is raising fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The agency, which investigates illegal hirings, announced the increase last Friday according to The Washington Post.

Currently, employers found in violation of the law pay fines ranging from $275 to $11,000 per illegal immigrant. Under the revised law, those penalties will increase by 25 percent per immigrant, and could include jail time of at least six months.

The increase in fines is part of the agency's stepped-up enforcement efforts. In the timeframe between October 2006 and September 2007, the agency fined employers more than $30 million, arrested 92 employers and 771 employees, and began deportation proceedings against more than 4,000 people found in violation of federal immigration laws.

Written by Jenny Cromie, certified human resources specialist (CHRS)