Republican lawmakers have introduced new legislation that would impose strict penalties on corporate executives who knowingly hire undocumented immigrants, intensifying the crackdown on illegal employment practices amid ongoing ICE operations across the country.
The proposed SAFE HIRE Act (Strengthening Accountability for Employers Hiring Individuals and Reforming Enforcement Act), spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), targets leaders of publicly traded companies who fail to comply with federal employment verification laws. Under the bill, CEOs and chief human resources officers would be required to certify in their annual SEC filings that all employees’ legal work status has been verified.
Executives would also need to report any “significant deficiencies” or known violations related to federal employment eligibility laws to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Violators would face up to 10 years in prison and $1 million in fines for submitting false certifications. If found guilty of knowingly employing undocumented workers, corporate officers could receive up to 20 years behind bars and $5 million in fines.
This proposal comes on the heels of recent high-profile ICE raids, including one in California where dozens of undocumented immigrants were arrested at a cannabis facility. That raid also triggered a federal child labor investigation.
In a strongly worded statement, Moreno criticized Democratic leaders:
“While liberals like Gavin Newsom pretend to care about human rights, the sad truth is that the Democrats’ open-borders agenda is really about undercutting American wages and ensuring their billionaire donors have a constant supply of cheap, foreign labor.”
He added:
“Let’s make this simple. Executives who abuse illegal immigrants with slave wages should be held personally liable and face severe consequences if they’re caught. This cannot be a country built on servitude. American workers must come first.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office responded with criticism of the federal approach, saying the government prioritizes private detention profits over humanitarian concerns:
“They care more about lining the pockets of private for-profit detention centers than the children and families wasting away in their care.”
Hiring undocumented workers has been illegal since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, but enforcement has been sporadic. The new GOP bill aims to close enforcement gaps by holding top executives directly accountable and making violations far more costly.
The legislation comes as Congress remains divided on immigration policy. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s recently signed reconciliation bill has increased resources for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, signaling a continued push for tough enforcement on illegal immigration and employment.
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