The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners is participating in a voluntary collaborative program with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) known as IMAGE, to develop a more secure and stable workforce and to enhance fraudulent document awareness through education and training.

The IMAGE or ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers program was created in 2006, as a joint government and private sector initiative designed to build cooperative relationships and strengthen hiring practices and encourage employer compliance.

The goal of the IMAGE program is to curtail the employment of unauthorized workers through outreach, education and partnership.

Under the IMAGE certification process, Citrus County will:

· Complete the IMAGE Membership Application
· Enroll in the E-Verify program within 60 days
· Establish a written hiring and employment verification policy that include internal Form I-9 audits at least once per year
· Submit to a Form I-9 inspection

Benefits of becoming IMAGE certified:

· Public recognition of the employer’s IMAGE certification
· Avoidance of lawsuits and other legal actions resulting from unauthorized employment
· Brand name protection
· Fine mitigation
· A stable workforce
· No Form I-9 inspection for a minimum of two years
· ICE provided training and guidance on proper hiring practices and fraudulent document awareness.

During the first part of the IMAGE program, the County will undergo a Form I-9 inspection. The inspection will review, evaluate and consider appropriate and lawful practices, procedures, policies and training materials related to the hiring and employment of only those individuals authorized to work in the United States.

The second part, the County will receive education and training in areas of proper hiring procedures, Form I-9 provisions, fraudulent document detection, anti-discrimination procedures and enrollment in E-Verify; an electronic verification program which provides an automated link to the Social Security Administration database, U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security immigration records.

In the third and final part, the County will implement this training by reverifying the work eligibility of many County employees through a Form I-9 verification process. County employees will be trained in the I-9 procedures and will have 30 business days to conduct the reverification of any deficient Forms I-9 discovered during the Forms I-9 audit by ICE.

Citrus County hopes to become the fourth County government IMAGE-Certified company in the State of Florida, by mid- or the end of 2011 - a distinction ICE believes will become an industry standard.