IMAGE AwardsPHOENIX, July 2012 — Five Arizona businesses representing the steel fabrication, aviation, construction, landscaping and metal finishing industries became the latest employers to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to strengthen their hiring practices, reduce fraud and ensure they employ a legal workforce.

Agate Steel, Ascent Aviation, CareScape, ChemResearch and Summit Builders were each certified as “IMAGE” or “ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers” Members during a ceremony Wednesday July 11, 2012.

CareScape is the first landscape company in Arizona, and the entire country for that matter, to join the IMAGE program.

IMAGE is a voluntary program that allows private industry to partner with ICE to reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents.

“Our IMAGE partnerships enable us to recognize the highest level of employment integrity and foster best hiring practices. When employers make a commitment to hire and maintain a lawful workforce, it’s good for their business and it’s good for the community.” — Matt Allen, HIS Special Agent

Undocumented workers create vulnerabilities in today’s marketplace by presenting false documents to gain employment, completing applications for fraudulent benefits, and stealing identities of legal United States workers. To combat this, ICE initiated the IMAGE program in 2006. As part of the IMAGE program, ICE provides private companies with education and training on proper hiring procedures, including use of employment screening tools such as E-Verify. IMAGE certified companies also undergo an audit of their I-9 forms to ensure current employees are eligible to work in the United States. http://www.ice.gov/image/best-practice.htm