Orlando, Fla.-based Chep USA has signed an agreement with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, pledging to weed out undocumented workers.

By signing the ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers in September, Chep agrees to train its staff on best hiring practice and use federal government screening tools to ensure employees have legal work authorization, said director of human resources operations Thomasina Kennedy.

"We did it because it's the right thing to do," Kennedy said. "We believe that the employment practices we have are best in class and ICE was looking for employers as partners to provide model practices for other employers."

Chep joins 26 other companies from around the country, representing a wide range of industries, who have signed the agreement, which allow immigration and customs officials to assess their practices on hiring and check employment records.

"There's a large process in order to qualify," Kennedy said. "It's not difficult, but it's rigorous."

This includes a self-assessment and using E-Verify, an online service that provides instant information on an employee's employment eligibility, Kennedy said.

"E-Verify tells you instantly if an employee is legal and that alone made it worth the effort," Kennedy said.

In addition, Chep is also participating in a Social Security Administration verification program, and is receiving training from the Department of Homeland Security, Kennedy said.