Recent reports illustrate the focus of U.S. government agencies on continued immigration enforcement. In June 2010 meeting between the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)’s Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) unit, FDNS indicated that there are three types of site visits that are ongoing:
 

1. site visits resulting from part of a fraud inquiry;
2. site visits conducted as a result of a Benefit Fraud Compliance Assessment; and
3. site visits conducted as part of a Compliance Review.

FDNS revealed that it made 2028 site visits in fiscal year 2009, resulting in 229 notices of intent to revoke approved petitions; and 14,324 site visits in fiscal year 2010, resulting in 496 notices of intent to revoke. Employers should note that if they have not already done so, they should review our memorandum about what to do in the event of a USCIS site visit regarding an H-1B, L-1 or Immigrant Petition, including making sure those staff who might encounter the USCIS representative know what to do. Please see our memorandum.

Further, according to recent figures released by the U.S. Department of Justice, the number of federal immigration prosecutions has jumped 30% month over month from February to March 2010, as Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) continues to ramp up its activities and its cooperation with federal prosecutors.