Posted on 07/28/2008 2:51:05 PM PDT by pissant
Federal agents walked into Mexican restaurants in Oberlin, Vermilion and six other Ohio communities Wednesday and walked out with 58 workers in handcuffs.
The dishwashers, cooks and waitresses now in federal custody are all Mexican citizens recruited to work here illegally, federal authorities say. They are likely to be deported.
None of their bosses has been charged with a crime - yet.
The raids at eight Casa Fiesta restaurants is part of larger workplace enforcement strategy that infuriates immigrant advocates, who say it brings down the hammer on hapless workers.
"These people are not criminals," said David Leopold, a Cleveland immigration lawyer. "The worst thing you can say about them is they came here to feed their families."
Leopold is to testify before a congressional subcommittee in Washington today on the need for comprehensive immigration reform. In lieu of that reform, he said, the government is using police actions to support a broken immigration system.
Immigration authorities say they are enforcing the law as best they can, in part, by targeting businesses that purposely hire undocumented workers.
"This was just a step," said Brian M. Moskowitz, the special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Office of Investigations in Detroit. "This is part of a criminal investigation of a company that is violating U.S. law."
The law allows his agents to act quickly against people suspected of being in the country illegally, he said. Building a criminal case against an employer takes more time.
At about 11 a.m. Wednesday, ICE agents executed criminal search warrants at Casa Fiesta restaurants in Norwalk, Oberlin, Vermilion, Ashland, Youngstown, Sandusky, Fremont and suburban Toledo. They also searched a home in Norwalk, where the restaurant chain is based, said Greg Palmore, spokesman for ICE.
(Excerpt) Read more at cleveland.com ...
Good to know the designated 'throat oyster in the cheese omlette' wasn't affected.
Oh yes they are! So's Jimmy DiMora and Frankie Russo and the rest of the Cuyahoga County Pirates. Looks like a good day for the hatchets to fall all over Cleveland.
Then define "criminal"...
more kleenex please
ROFL
(These people are not criminals,” said David Leopold, a Cleveland immigration lawyer.)
Really? Does he know each and everyone of them personally?
More to the point how does he think they got in the Country? They BROKE LAWS to get here. That makes them criminals.
“These people are not criminals,” said David Leopold, a Cleveland immigration lawyer. “The worst thing you can say about them is they came here to feed their families.” I call BS on this "self serving lawyer"! The workers came here illegally and they are illegal workers. They should have no legal rights other than the right to be deported!
PERFECT!
Trite cliches is all these guys have - its embarrassing.
Folks aren't buying them anymore.
Alright! 58 less votes for Obama coming out of Ohio.
bttt
None of their bosses has been charged with a crime - yet.
Okey dokey.. perp walk the bosses.. deport the ducks..
Wow. Thanks for the update. It’s organized slave labor and it robs legitimate American citizens, legitimate American citizens and legal immigrants of jobs and often, tax revenue for state / fed.
“Casa Fiesta needs to be put out of business.”
Agreed. The way out of this mess isn’t mass deportations. We don’t have the resources to do that. The way out is to really go at employers hard. If we can get the jobs to dry up millions will self deport.
“”These people are not criminals,” said David Leopold,”
According to websters dictionary criminal means “ person guilty or convicted of a crime.” These folks have broken the law. Breaking the law makes them a criminal.
Hooray!
To add to that point -- Were they working using fake Social Security numbers or were they being paid under the table? If I'm not mistaken, doing either of those is a crime as well.
awesome
ping
None of their bosses has been charged with a crime - yet.
That is one of the problems that needs to be cleaned up. The employer needs a verification system to be able to check the required documents necessary to be legal and if the worker clears that then the employer shouldn’t be held liable.
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