Immigration agents served audit notices to 63 businesses

Immigration officials say federal agents served notices of employment audits to dozens of New Mexico businesses, requiring the businesses to provide hiring records that deal with employees’ immigration status.

The Albuquerque Journal reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials delivered the notices to 63 businesses in the state between Feb. 26 and March 2.

The businesses were given three days to produce the records. The newspaper could not determine how many businesses produced the documents or what happened to those that did not.

The agency declined to name the businesses.

In a news conference Thursday, New Mexico immigrant rights advocates and officials in Albuquerque say ICE is targeting immigrant-operated businesses and that the agency’s activities could have negative effects on the state’s economy.