ATLANTA – Cobb County government has signed a four-year extension to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) employment compliance program called IMAGE at a recent ceremony held in the county’s Board of Commissioner’s office. The county signed the original agreement in 2013.

IMAGE stands for ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers. As part of this agreement, Cobb County government has pledged to maintain a secure and stable workforce and curtail the employment of unauthorized workers through outreach and education. To qualify for IMAGE certification, companies must perform the following requirements:

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 internal Form I-9 audits at least once per year; and

Submit to a Form I-9 inspection.

“By way of unanimous consent, the commissioners of Cobb County have demonstrated their continued commitment to implementing the best practices outlined in our IMAGE program,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Ultimately Cobb County residents benefit by having a county government that participates in E-Verify and implements other key hiring practices. In return they avoid potential costly, tax-payer funded, legal actions and fines.”

“In 2013 Cobb County became IMAGE certified. This process has proven to be effective in compliance with federal law and is an additional tool to assist us in our hiring and personnel measures,” said County Commissioner JoAnn Birrell. “On Tuesday we renewed our IMAGE certification which is good for four more years, and I was proud to be a part of the signing ceremony. Thank you to all of our ICE agents for their time and commitment to this worthwhile program.”

Cobb County, founded December 3, 1832, is a suburban county of Atlanta with a population of 760,000. It is Georgia’s third most-populous county. The county employs approximately 5,000 people.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) E-Verify employment eligibility verification program enables employers to 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.

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