Federal Government Officials: Immigration Compliance and Enforcement
With the increase of immigration enforcement actions in the media, employers must spend significant time and energy ensuring that they are operating by the book and aren’t opening themselves up to fines and other penalties. While the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services continue regular site visits related to H-1Bs, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have increased worksite enforcement actions related to worksite verification and Form I-9. Meanwhile, more employers have opted to use E-Verify for increased security. This session will bring together government policymakers from these agencies to discuss the latest worksite enforcement trends and developments.
Matthew Emrich
On Nov. 15, 2015, Matthew Emrich began serving as the associate director for the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS), where he leads more than 200 headquarters-based staff who issue operational guidance to more than 1,000 FDNS personnel in the field. In November 2012, Emrich was selected as the deputy associate director of FDNS.
Emrich has more than 25 years of immigration law enforcement and intelligence experience. He began his civilian government career in 1997 as a special agent for the Chicago District of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). While he served in the INS, Emrich’s criminal investigator assignments included the Lake County Repeat Offender Strike Force and the Anti-Smuggling Unit.
Immediately after 9/11, he was detailed to the National Security Unit at INS headquarters and later promoted to a position on the Chicago FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. Emrich also served as a supervisory special agent at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to help establish the first permanent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Visa Security Program post.
In February 2008, Emrich headed ICE’s headquarters-based analytic units as a deputy assistant director in ICE’s Office of Intelligence. In the aftermath of the 2009 Christmas Day attempted bombing by al-Qaeda of a commercial airliner, Emrich was selected as the chief of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Threat Task Force, which provided integrated intelligence and operational information to DHS leadership and components. In May 2010, Emrich was selected as the chief of the Intelligence Branch (later Division) in FDNS.
Emrich served for eight years on active duty in the Marine Corps in counterintelligence and infantry. He was also deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, as a contract senior human intelligence analyst for multinational forces.
Emrich has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Park University, a master’s degree in strategic intelligence from the National Intelligence University, and a graduate certificate in applied management from the Australian Institute of Police Management. He has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since November 2012.
Victoria Porto
Victoria Porto serves as the Executive Chief, Verification Division. She leads a team of ~500 employees at five geographically disbursed locations in the managing and operations of two DHS national level programs: E-Verify and Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE), with a budget of over $172M.
Prior to this role, Porto was the deputy chief of the Office of Performance & Quality (OPQ), a position she assumed in September 2016. In this role, she led OPQ’s staff of statisticians, adjudicators, and management program analysts in providing data and operational analyses to internal and external stakeholders.
During her tenure, she enhanced delivery of key enterprise services by developing Staffing Allocation Models (SAMs) in support of the agency’s Annual Operating Plan (AOP); eliminated the backlog of reports despite an increase of more than 20%; and co-chaired the Processing Times Technical Workgroup meetings that developed new calculation methods for measuring processing times using system of record information. The new approach pulls data directly from agency systems, is automated and more accurate, and allows for posting within 2 weeks instead of 6. The USCIS Processing Times Working Group leveraged innovative technology and design to maximize resources, and save millions in monetary expenses.
Porto began her federal career with the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in 2001 at the San Diego District Office and later worked at the California Service Center in Laguna Niguel, CA. She held various positions in the field, including supervisory adjudications officer before she joined the DHS Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman’s Office in 2008.
In 2010, Porto served as a founding member of the USCIS Office of Public Engagement at Headquarters, and went on to serve as the first senior community relations officer. In this role, she spearheaded efforts to launch USCIS’ nationwide Enlace Público, a Spanish-language public engagement series; developed and implemented multiphase strategic plans that enhanced service, transparency; and strengthened relationships with federal partners.
Additionally, Porto led the Field Operations Directorate’s (FOD) Transformation Division which included a geographically disperse team of subject matter experts as well as a leadership team in Washington, D.C. As FOD’s principal representative, she served as a consultant to the Office of Transformation and Coordination (OTC), and collaborated with USCIS colleagues to develop the USCIS Electronic Immigration System (USCIS ELIS).
In 2014, Porto served as a founding member of the USCIS Investor Program Office (IPO). Her work included workforce planning, designing and implementing operational processes, overseeing the development of standard operating procedures, and evaluating and assessing quality.
Porto holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Public Administration from American University, and a Certificate in International Migration Studies from Georgetown University.
Hiba M. Anver
Hiba M. Anver is a Managing Director/Attorney for Erickson Immigration Group. Her practice focus is primarily on the employment-based green card process. Hiba has extensive experience in all aspects of PERM, I-140s, and I-485s. Whether a Fortune 500 company or a start-up, Hiba works with clients in various industries, including tech, fintech, e-commerce, retail, medicine/oncology, investment, and education. She also advises corporate clients on complex immigration matters that result from corporate restructuring, including mergers, acquisitions, and reductions-in-force. She has briefed congressional staffers on Capitol Hill and has provided commentary to television/publication media outlets such as PBS’ Nightly Business Report, CNBC, The SF Chronicle, Bloomberg Law, and Politico Pro. Hiba has also lectured at the George Washington University School of Law, American University Washington College of Law and the University of Texas at Arlington. Her past experience includes Appeals/Oral Argument before the Fifth Court of Appeals.
Peter Schiron
Peter T. Schiron, Jr., is an Associate General Counsel with Deloitte LLP in New York City, where he provides strategic legal advice and counseling to the organization on a wide range of immigration law and global mobility matters. In this role, he oversees Deloitte's global mobility legal function, and guides leadership and senior management teams in formulating U.S. and global immigration policies and best practices that ensure compliance with immigration laws and promote the success of Deloitte’s business models.
Additionally, Mr. Schiron co-leads Deloitte’s advocacy and legislative agenda in Washington, D.C. for passage of high-skilled immigration legislation and regularly engages with U.S. immigration regulators to promote consistent, predictable and fair interpretation of immigration laws, regulations, rules and policies. Mr. Schiron received his law degree from William and Mary School of Law in Williamsburg, VA, and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He is a frequent speaker on topics relating to business immigration and global employment practices.