Thirteen New York-based businesses have joined U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s (ICE) employment compliance program, IMAGE (ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers).
Five corporations, each individually owning one 7-Eleven franchise, joined the IMAGE program. Combined, these companies employ approximately 60 individuals. Four of the locations are located on Long Island and one is located in Manhattan.
Others joining IMAGE include Greenman-Pederson, Inc. (GPI) and its four subsidiary corporations, headquartered in Babylon, New York, which has over 40 offices throughout the United States. GPI provides services for bridges, building systems, construction management, civil and site engineering, environmental, highway, traffic, water and waste systems, surveying and mapping, and planning and design.
Another company that recently joined IMAGE is Compass Workforce Solutions, a human resources company headquartered in Hauppauge, New York. Compass provides human resource services to smaller companies headquartered in New York and Northern New Jersey, including services for those companies’ employees across the United States.
Also joining IMAGE is Strategic Security Corp. (SSC), a nationwide security firm headquartered in Commack, New York. SSC has approximately 600 employees and includes the U.S. government (the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Securities and Exchange Commission) and some Fortune 500 companies among its clients. The company provides security services and risk reduction through guarding, executive protection, and intelligence.
McAllister Towing & Transportation Company, Inc., and its 13 subsidiaries also joined IMAGE. They operate a fleet of tugs, barges, and ferries in all major East Coast ports of the United States, including but not limited to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Charleston, Port Everglades, and San Juan.
ICE initiated the IMAGE program in 2006. To qualify for IMAGE certification, companies agree to conduct a self-assessment of their hiring practices to uncover vulnerabilities that could be exploited by unauthorized workers; enroll in E-Verify; train staff on IMAGE Best Employment Practices and the use of new screening tools; and undergo a Form I-9 audit by ICE.
Upon enrollment in and commitment to the IMAGE Best Employment Practices, program participants are deemed “IMAGE certified,†a distinction the Department of Homeland Security and ICE “believe will become an industry standard.†ICE noted that IMAGE also “provides free training to all employers on the provisions surrounding the Form I-9, fraudulent document detection, and building a solid immigration compliance model.â€
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