Federal Contractors That Knowingly Hired Illegal Aliens May Be Debarred

Seven companies previously found to have knowingly hired illegal aliens are being considered for debarment from federal contracting, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release. Although ICE has not previously used the debarment option, it is now seen as a potentially useful tool for protecting law-abiding businesses from unfair competition.

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) § 9.406-2(b)(2) provides that several violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act may be grounds for debarring a company from federal contracting. Those grounds may include convictions for knowingly hiring or continuing to employ illegal aliens. ....