15 Jul ChemResearch Becomes IMAGE Certified
ChemResearch’s continued commitment to implement best practices throughout the organization pays off again by becoming IMAGE certified. Less than 200 employers in the nation have partnered and been recognized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to certify their hiring practices, reduce fraud and ensure they employ a legal workforce.
ChemResearch and four other AZ employers were each certified as “IMAGE” or “ICE Mutual Agreement Between Government and Employers” partners during a ceremony Wednesday. 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,” said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of HSI in Arizona. “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.”
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.
Arizona employers interested in learning more about IMAGE membership may call the ICE IMAGE coordinator in Phoenix at (602) 407-6155 or visit www.ICE.gov/image. To watch ABC 15’s story on the subject, click here.
Founded in 1959, ChemResearch is a NADCAP certified, ITAR registered single-source metal finishing provider for the aerospace, defense, medical, electronics, automotive and commercial industries. The company’s 55,000 square foot facility in Phoenix serves multiple regional machine shops as well as OEMs such as Boeing, BAE, Honeywell, Hamilton Sundstrand, Goodrich, Parker Aerospace, Bell Helicopter, Rolls Royce and Space X.