Newly released documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) reveal that three employers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were fined a combined $59,354 earlier this year for violations tied to federal worksite enforcement laws.
The documents, obtained by The Dallas Express through a Freedom of Information Act request, covering President Donald Trump’s first six months back in office, detail final administrative orders issued against local companies for failing to comply with federal immigration and employment eligibility verification requirements.
According to the records:
- CMS Mechanical Services, Inc., based in Denton, was fined $5,058 on Jan. 24, 2025.
- Lentz Landscape Lighting, a Dallas-area outdoor lighting company, was fined $4,296 on Feb. 24, 2025.
- Entrust One Facility Services, Inc., a facilities and janitorial firm, received the largest penalty — $50,000 on June 17, 2025.
The fines stem from cases closed by ICE’s Dallas office between Jan. 20 and June 30, 2025. Each case was marked as a “Final Order.”
The Dallas Express reached out to all three companies for comment. None responded.
Dallas Fines Pale in Comparison to National Crackdowns
The fines, while notable, represent relatively small-scale enforcement compared to ICE’s worksite crackdowns in other states. In Colorado earlier this year, three companies faced more than $8 million in fines, including one cleaning business that was penalized $6.19 million for employing 87 unauthorized workers, an ICE press release stated at the time. By contrast, the largest Dallas fine totaled just $50,000.
A review of the documents suggests the Dallas cases involved fewer employees or less severe violations, such as uncorrected paperwork errors, but heavy redactions in the trove of documents make it impossible to determine exactly what the alleged violations were.
Under 2025 penalty adjustments, fines can range from $281–$2,814 per violation for I-9 paperwork errors and $2,814–$28,137 per unauthorized worker for knowing violations, Greenberg Traurig, a law firm with a presence in Dallas, explains on the firm’s legal blog.
Enforcement in Context
Worksite enforcement is one of ICE-HSI’s core missions, designed to deter illegal employment, protect lawful U.S. workers, and reduce the incentive for unauthorized immigration. In Trump’s previous term in office, enforcement took around a year to become substantially more aggressive. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, ICE significantly ramped up worksite actions in 2018.
In fiscal year 2018, for example, ICE reported opening nearly 7,000 worksite investigations, issuing almost 6,000 I-9 audits and making more than 2,300 arrests nationwide— increases of 300%–750% compared to the prior year, according to an ICE Fact sheet. High-profile enforcement actions that year included the arrests of 160 workers at a North Texas trailer manufacturer and 146 workers at an Ohio meat processing plant.
Rising Risks for Employers
The Department of Homeland Security raised civil monetary penalties in January 2025, meaning employers face steeper fines than in past years for paperwork errors or unauthorized hiring. Greenberg Traurig advises employers to conduct regular internal audits and training to avoid costly penalties.
“The main function of HSI’s worksite enforcement program… is to assist the field in maintaining the integrity in the U.S. immigration system, ease pressure at the borders, promote self-compliance in the business community, and protect employment opportunities for the nation’s workforce,” the ICE website states.
Later, it adds, “Worksite violations and the exploitation of workers may lead to humanitarian concerns and pose risks to our nation’s safety and security. Many industries exploiting workers are part of our daily lives as consumers — such as food and agriculture, manufacturing, clothing production, health and beauty services, childcare and cleaning services.”