30 Kids Left Behind After Immigration Raid

AP via Yahoo! ^ | 7-29-05 | MELISSA NELSON

[holyscroller]

Do the humane compassionate thing, deport the kids too.

[joesnuffy]

119 ILLEGAL ALIENS IN ARKADELPHIA ARRESTED BY ICE AGENTS

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents yesterday arrested 119 illegal aliens here at Petit Jean Poultry Inc. following an audit of the company’s employee records, and in response to a February identity theft conviction.

Those arrested were employed at the facility using actual identities of United States citizens. Special agents from the local ICE Texarkana Office were joined by 30 agents from other ICE regional offices. The ICE New Orleans Office of Investigations conducted the employee audit pursuant to an administrative search warrant obtained from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Special agents from the Little Rock Office of the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General office assisted in the operation.

Many aliens apprehended at Petit Jean were determined to have illegally purchased U.S. citizen birth certificates and Social Security Cards, and then used those documents to obtain identification cards bearing their photos from the State of Arkansas. The Arkansas identification cards were then used to obtain employment under the stolen identity.

Yesterday’s operation stemmed from an ICE investigation into the sale of U.S. citizen birth certificates and social security cards that culminated in the December 2004 arrest of a former Petit Jean employee. The employee, Maria Moreno of Arkadelphia, Ark., pleaded guilty Feb. 14 to multiple counts of a federal indictment charging that she unlawfully sold identity documents and social security cards. Approximately $60,000 in cash was seized from Moreno as suspected proceeds of her unlawful activities.

The arrested aliens were turned over to ICE Detention and Removal Operations. Information regarding fraudulently used Social Security numbers will be provided to the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service to unscramble the earning records of the affected U.S. citizen victims.

Of those arrested, two were from Honduras, one from El Salvador, one from Guatemala, and the remaining 115 aliens were from Mexico. There were a total of 50 males, 69 females, one of which was a 14-year-old juvenile. Wages paid to the illegal aliens ranged from $6 to $6.80 per hour.

“ICE is committed to enforcing laws relating to identity theft, false claims to U.S. citizenship, and fraud," said Craig Griffin, resident agent-in-charge for the ICE Texarkana office. "We will arrest those who violate immigration employment laws and continue to restore integrity to the U.S. immigration system."

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is continuing to investigate this case.

# ICE #

[El Conservador]

Do any of you realize that many of those kids might be actually American-born, and therefore American citizens???

In that case, deportation is out of the question...

[xroadie]

Doesn't sound like they're going to deport anybody!

[commonasdirt]

"I'm a softee when it comes to babies and very young kids, though."

Understandable. I am sure many of us feel the same way. But there has to be a limit. Take care of them until deportation then hand them back to the parents as we herd them back over the border.

[Happy2BMe]

This is a test of your national immigration and natruralization service . .

================================

About 30 children, some as young as 3 months old, were left without their parents after immigration agents raided a poultry plant and took the parents away to face possible deportation.

[HiJinx]

In that case, deportation is out of the question...

Actually, it isn't. They have a choice...we can't require deportation, but they can choose deportation to be with their parents.

[HiJinx]

Here are more details about the raid we posted yesterday. Lotta sob-story info about the kids left behind when the 119 were arrested. This isn't much different than a US parent being led away from his house in handcuffs while little Johhny and Jane are in school.

We have controls in place to treat the children of illegals through the deportation process. The parents have the choice of taking their children with them, or leaving them with someone here in the States. Remember, they're minors.

[HiJinx]

I thought that posted too quickly...here's the post to the ping list!

[Founding Father]

A proper reading of the 14th amendment reveals that being born here of illegal immigrants does not make you a citizen. Of course, that's not how the Supreme Court libs read it, now.

[BIRDS]

I think that's the idea here...most humans are softies for children and childrens' concerns (particularly kids left alone by parents because of whatever).

Bill the parents for the childcare involved, if anyone can find an address to send the bills to...

[BIRDS]

YES, it IS the Clinton's friends, the Tysons of Tyson Chicken fame, if you can call it that.

I stopped buying Tyson poultry several years ago, for this very reason.

[RFEngineer]

"... .--. .- -.-- / .- -. -.. / -. . ..- - . .-. / .. .-.. .-.. . --. .- .-.. / .- .-.. .. . -. ...) "

Spay and neuter illegal aliens?

Just deport them

[Marine Inspector]

A proper reading of the 14th amendment reveals that being born here of illegal immigrants does not make you a citizen.

100% correct.

[raybbr]

Do any of you realize that many of those kids might be actually American-born, and therefore American citizens???

I want to see the specific law that backs up that claim. Don't point me to Article XIV of the constitution. I don't agree that it means that anyone born on our soil is automatically a citizen.

[humblegunner]

"We interviewed every person and asked that specific question, and we were told that there were none," he said.

So the children were abandoned because the parents lied.

So it seems to me.

[txdoda]

Interesting. I don't recall an AP story about an American arrestee not getting to arrange for their children upon their arrest.

LOL.......hey, teacher, did you miss this line ?? "each person arrested was asked whether they had children and they all said they did not."

What I found *interesting*, is that no *illegals* were charged with LYING to the feds, no charges for FALSE DOCUMENTS to work, & that some were allowed to "self-deport".

I guess the "self-deporters" were all mexicans, that will now be free to pursue ALL their 12-15 chances @ illegally crossing our borders.

Do you have the *list* of laws that Americans can break 12-15 TIMES.....without penalty ????

[pollyannaish]

If true, this is a perfect example of the harmful decisions that need to be overturned by an originalist court. It is a decision that is as bad for those children as it is for legal US citizens.

[brytlea]

"The kids were just left," Tucker said. "They're not doing their job by simply questioning them and asking them whether they have children and not contacting anyone locally."

Who would imagine they would lie to the officers about having children?? Why should they have to go locally and make sure? Any parent worthy of being a parent would have IMMEDIATELY said they had kids and wanted to make arrangements for them. I think the illegal immigrants should now be charged with child endangerment.

susie

[TheSpottedOwl]

Jeez, they lied to the authorities about their children, and now they're crying? The children should be placed in foster care. Give the parents a choice: either claim them, or we adopt them out.