The New York Times has reported that Immigration enforcement officials intends to expand the E-Verify auditing program to companies the Department of Homeland Security suspects to have engaged in the unlawful hiring of undocumented workers.

The Times reports that 1,000 companies have been targeted for a review, and that a spokesperson of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remarked that this initiative is part of President Obama's strategy to address companies that engage in illegal hiring practices.

“ICE is focused on finding and penalizing employers who believe they can unfairly get ahead by cultivating illegal workplaces,” John Morton - Head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Neither the Times, nor Morton identified the companies who will be targeted by the expansion of E-Verify.