Immigration Agents Nab Execs, Employees in Illegal Worker Raids

[mad1]

"WASHINGTON — Immigration agents arrested seven executives and hundreds of employees of a manufacturer of crates and pallets Wednesday as part of a crackdown on employers of illegal workers.

Authorities raided offices and plants of IFCO Systems in at least nine states, the culmination of a yearlong criminal investigation, law enforcement officials said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested seven current and former IFCO Systems managers on charges they conspired to transport, harbor and encourage illegal workers to reside in the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain, said Glenn T. Suddaby, the chief federal prosecutor in Albany, N.Y., where some arrests were made.

ICE spokeswoman Jamie Zuieback confirmed an unspecified number of raids and arrests, but declined to provide additional details because the investigation was continuing. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity because numbers were still being tallied, said the arrests were in the hundreds.

Raids took place at several locations in upstate New York and in Biglerville, Pa., Charlotte, N.C., Cincinnati, Houston, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Richmond, Va., and Westborough, Mass.

"ICE has no tolerance for corporate officers who harbor illegal aliens for their work force. Today's nationwide enforcement actions show how we will use all our investigative tools to bring these individuals to justice, no matter how large or small their company," said ICE chief Julie Myers."

Fox

[Epidemic]

Wooohoooooo!

A year long investigation. They seriously need to implement my idea.

fellow employee turns in illegals, business is fined 5000 dollars, 2500 to whistle blower, 2500 to imigration to cover costs. per head 5000 bucks

[mad1]

I hope this is not just a appeasement attempt.

[Theophylact]

No, it's a campaign attempt.

[Pexster]

Let's see, Simpson-Mazzoli was passed when? 1986 or '87? And there were fewer than five employer enforcement cases last year, I believe. Maybe this will stop people from focusing so much on the supply side, ya' think?

Nah, because racism is the core reason so many people are immigrant bashing. They just don't like to admit it or have it thrown in their faces.

[Pexster]

A good opinion piece from my former local fish wrap (no wait . . . they just won a Pulitzer! Maybe I can't call them that anymore).

Quote:

Never mind tough. Forget compassionate. Congress should ditch the old scripts and stop repeating the familiar sound bites.

What do they have to lose? They're not kidding anyone as it is. Just look at what happened recently in the Senate. Those “tough” Republicans weren't tough enough to propose stiffer fines or jail time or asset forfeiture for businesses and others who hire illegal immigrants, and those “compassionate” Democrats weren't compassionate enough not to sell out Latinos if it meant serving the interests of organized labor.

So what's the point of this charade? Instead of trying to be something they're not to fool their political bases, both parties would be better off coming clean and striving for the two things that, whenever we talk about immigration reform, always seem to get lost in the mix: nuance and honesty.

Then the American people would be wise to do the same.

[mad1]

[QUOTE

Nah, because racism is the core reason so many people are immigrant bashing. They just don't like to admit it or have it thrown in their faces.[/quote]

I doubt that racism is major cause in this issue. Racism may play a small part in a minor group of people.

[Pexster]

I doubt it, mad1, and I'll believe otherwise when I hear the same people complaining about the immigrants mention the employers before they start in on the workers (if they bother to mention the employers at all). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know how to dry up the undocumented labor market.