Immigration Reform: Status of Implementing Employer Sanctions After One Year

Pursuant to a legislative mandate, GAO reviewed the first-year implementation and enforcement of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 provisions regarding sanctions against employers who knowingly hire unauthorized workers, focusing on: (1) the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) efforts to educate the public about the law; (2) its planned enforcement approach; and (3) whether the provisions have caused a pattern of discrimination against eligible workers or an unnecessary regulatory burden on employers.