3 Long Island companies join IMAGE program

NEW YORK — Three Long Island, New York, based businesses have partnered with  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York  by joining the agency’s employment compliance program IMAGE, or “ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers.”

Sai W. Fung, president and CEO of Bren-Tronics, Inc. and UltraCell, LLC and the owner of RCE Manufacturing, LLC has volunteered on behalf of each company to enter the IMAGE program. The new partnership was marked Thursday by an ceremony at HSI New York’s Manhattan office.

Bren-Tronics, Inc., located in Commack, New York, employs over 200 people.  The company produces batteries for military and industrial applications, including ones needed during Operation Desert Storm in order to meet the operational and logistical needs of the troops in the field. UltraCell, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bren-Tronics, Inc. which has eight employees.  The company designs and manufactures high power micro fuel cells. RCE Manufacturing, LLC (RCE), currently has approximately 22 employees and is the supplier of printed circuit boards.

“Bren-Tronics, UltraCell and RCE Manufacturing are proud to become IMAGE partners with the HSI,” said Sai W. Fung, president and CEO of Bren-Tronics and Utracell, owner of RCE.  “Our companies look forward to continuing to ensure that we have secure and stable workforces.”

To qualify for IMAGE certification, partners agree to conduct a self-assessment of their hiring practices to uncover vulnerabilities that could be exploited by unauthorized workers; enroll in E-verify, an employment eligibility verification program; train staff on IMAGE Best Employment Practices and the use of new screening tools; and undergo a Form I-9 audit by ICE.

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.

All IMAGE members must participate in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) E-Verify employment eligibility verification program. Through this program, employers can verify that newly hired employees are eligible to work in the United States. This Internet-based system is available throughout the nation and is free to employers. It provides an automated link to the Social Security Administration database and DHS immigration records.

Upon enrollment in and commitment to the IMAGE Best Employment Practices, program participants are deemed “IMAGE certified,” a distinction DHS and ICE believe will become an industry standard. IMAGE also provides free training to all employers on the provisions surrounding the Form I-9, fraudulent document detection, and building a solid immigration compliance model.

Companies interested in more information on the IMAGE program can visit www.ICE.gov/image.