Likely illegal immigrants found working at defense contractor

He said arresting illegal immigrants opens up job opportunities for American workers and legal residents.

Now who would of though that.

ping

He could have added that it also closed down security threats.

But are American jobs and security reason enough to cause the contractor to pay market wages?

Wednesday, Gilbert Elizondo, AMFELS' vice president for human resources, told The Brownsville Herald the company has 40 to 50 contractors who hire their own workers. He said AMFELS has about 1,000 employees and "they have to meet the legal requirements to work here,"

Mr. Elizondo, AT BEST, your practices are SHABBY and DECEITFUL, and your outfit has demonstrated outrageously poor judgment. AMFELS should be barred from competing for any future Federal contracts and fined accordingly for this breach.

The tip of the iceberg.

But are American jobs and security reason enough to cause the contractor to pay market wages?

In the story, it says "AMFELS is a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine, Ltd. of Singapore, which makes about 60 percent of the world's jack-up oil rigs"; I don't believe that Singaporean companies care at all about American jobs or American security.

You will find the same is true with American companies in other countries; they are not there to worry about the locals' employment conditions or the foreign country's security. They are there to make money from a business opportunity, and generally have no loyalty or other greater interest in the area. (Yes, I know that there are exceptions, but I cannot even think of one at present.)

Well, that gets into the whole stick issue of why foreigners are defense contractors.

Check here

Says: Keppel Offshore & Marine (AMFELS), Brownsville TX

Record of Post-WWII Shipbuilding

Marathon LeTourneau's Brownsville shipyard was sold to local interests in the early 1990s and then sold again to Keppel FELS (now Keppel Offshore & Marine) which renamed it AMFELS and re-entered the rigbuilding business.

Doesn't give dates for last company turnover though.

Keppel Offshore & Marine, integrating the experience and expertise of Keppel FELS, Keppel Shipyard, Keppel Singmarine and Keppel yards overseas, was established in 2002.

Keppel FELS

When I worked at Teledyne Microelectronics in LA during the 1980s, when the INS bus showed up, the production floor looked like a ghost town.

Our quality problems reflected it too.

I can believe it!

U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby was expected to provide more details of the investigation Thursday afternoon in McAllen.

Here's the U.S. Attorney's news release.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

September 30, 2004

John Yembrick
Public Affairs Specialist
P. O. Box 61129 Houston, TX 77208
Phone: 713/567-9388 Fax: 713/718-3389
E-Mail: usatty.txs@usdoj.gov

ILLEGAL ALIENS WORKING AT AMFELS CHARGED

CONTACT AUSA: Terra Bay
Phone: 956/548-2554

(BROWNSVILLE, TX) United States Attorney Michael Shelby announced that federal charges of false representation of Social Security numbers have been filed against 41contract workers at AMFELS, Inc. The defendants charged today were taken into custody yesterday by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in conjunction with an ongoing and year-long multi-agency investigation into the use by illegal aliens of false documents including false Social Security numbers to secure employment.

AMFELS, Inc., is a large shipyard company and a Department of Defense contractor. To meet its obligations under this and other jobs, AMFELS contracts with various labor lease companies to supply hundreds of employees to fill both skilled and unskilled labor force needs at its shipyard.

At a press conference held today in McAllen, Texas, on an unrelated case, U.S. Attorney Shelby announced the unsealing of an indictment of Remedy Intelligent Staffing, Inc, a temporary employment agency in McAllen, Texas, for concealing its unlawful practice of hiring illegal aliens and submitting falsified employment eligibility forms (I-9's) for the employees it hired to work at another Department of Defense contractor.

Commenting upon this case at that conference, U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby said, “Both cases represent our continuing commitment to assure our nation's security through the consistent enforcement of our laws. We cannot allow our long-term security to be thrown away for short-term gain. Today, the stakes are too high.”

The investigation which lead to the filing to charges today was conducted by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Public Safety (DPS), and Cameron County Drug Enforcement Task Force (CCDETF). That joint investigation undertaken with the assistance and cooperation of AMFELS, Inc, resulted in the number of contract employees being identified as having been hired and working through the use of a false Social Security numbers. The false presentation or use of a false Social Security number or someone else's Social Security number to secure employment is a felony offense which carries a maximum penalty of five (5) years in prison, without parole, and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.

A list of those charged by criminal complaint is attached. Each of the above named defendants will make an initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge in Brownsville beginning today through tomorrow.

This investigation is continuing.

This cases initiated today through the filing of a criminal complaint will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charlie Lewis, Terra Bay and Daniel Marposon of the Brownsville office.

A criminal complaint is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

# # #

SOURCE

We cannot allow our long-term security to be thrown away for short-term gain. Today, the stakes are too high.”

Somebody tell the free trader brigade the DOJ wants to talk to them.

re: She said she could not discuss what their jobs were.

Janitors, I bet. If this is true are they part of the SEIU union?

A fine the companies that hire illegals bump!!

.

Ping

Aquino said officials are still investigating which companies will face charges for employing them.

Quick, make a large campaign contribution to the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign and you probably won't have a worry in the world. In fact, you might just get all the undocumented workers returned to you with a personal apology from Asa, George and karl themselves.

CNN.com: Do you believe securing U.S. borders is an integral part of homeland security?

Poll: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/

Results: http://www.cnn.com/POLLSERVER/results/13579.exclude.html

As of 10/01/04 0655 CST

Yes = 95% - 3992
No = 5% - 201

"These companies were hiring undocumented aliens and providing them with fraudulent documents to have access to very secure areas that are critical to our infrastructure and national security," Aquino said.

I look for Asa Hutchinson to come after Aquino, as it is a policy of Homeland Security to be very selective in removing illegals from any jobs. It is a Bush policy that all illegals be given the jobs of American citizens, so it would follow that Aquino will be the one to bite the dust.