GREELEY, Colo. – JBS USA, a subsidiary of JBS SA, has joined a federal program designed to strengthen immigration compliance and reduce document fraud and identity theft.

The Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program helps employers deter unlawful employment and reduce vulnerabilities that facilitate illegal immigrants getting jobs. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiated the program in July 2006. Employers in targeted sectors get help to enhance fraudulent document awareness through education and training.

Employers seeking certification in IMAGE must agree to:

• Complete the IMAGE Self-Assessment Questionnaire (Application)
• Enroll in the E-Verify program within 60 days
• Establish a written hiring and employment eligibility verification policy that includes an internal Form I-9 audit at least once a year
• Submit to a Form I-9 Inspection
• Review and sign an official IMAGE partnership agreement with ICE

"Today is an exciting day for JBS and serves as recognition of the considerable time, effort and financial resources we have invested in creating a top-flight workforce compliance culture," said Don Jackson, president and CEO of JBS USA Holdings. "It is also a testament to the tremendous commitment of our 65,000 employees, without whom this opportunity would not have been possible.

“Through our voluntary partnership with the government, it is my expectation that we will continue to raise the bar for compliance in our industry and beyond, and remain worthy of the status that IMAGE partnership confers," he added.

Jackson and John Morton, director of US ICE, jointly signed the IMAGE agreement on Oct. 9 at the ICE headquarters in Washington, DC.