Prescott Grower Fined $2.25 Million for Employing Illegal Workers

It's being called one of the biggest fines in recent years, over a grower's failure to verify the eligibility of employees to legally work in the United States. At issue were laws that require U.S. companies prove their workers are A) here legally, and B) meet requirements to work in the U.S.

Broetje Orchards, a very large apple grower based out of Prescott, WA, will pay a civil penalty of $2.25 million as part of a deal worked out with U.S. Immigrations Customs Enforcement (ICE).

After an audit last summer, ICE and government officials found as many as 950 of Broteje's workers were suspected of not being legally eligible to work in the U.S.

Under terms of the settlement, Broetje doesn't admit any wrongdoing, but does admit they continued to employ unauthorized workers who were not legally allowed to work in this country.