U.S. BORDER PATROL: Turn In Illegal Aliens (and employers)

U.S. Border Control ^ | 2004 | Border Patrol staff

[tertiary01]

I think I'll bump Junior...

[jetson]

Do these guys have a web site. Take pictures of the low lifer's license plate when they pick the illegals up on the corner and send it in. If employers do start getting hast led the word will spread about not hiring these guys.

[azhenfud]

Read my profile.

There are also bounties available for reporting tax evasionists.

[jetson]

Another tip is to call your state contractors license board and report them. Supposedly they are urging contractors to turn in non licensed cotractors especially if they are illegals doing cash jobs.

[Leatherneck_MT]

"AN INVADER of our soveign soil, with the complicity of his government.

As a MARINE, I will act accordingly. "

Amen brother and Semper Fi

[Polyxene]

Me, too! I can still hear Junior saying in that Southern drawl -- "Just call BR-549" -- LOL!!

[doug from upland]

I think the tax angle could be important. In Georgia there had passed or had considered a bill that would not allow an employer to deduct the money paid as a business expense.

[doug from upland]

I cruised around a little near a pick up center yesterday but there was no parking anywhere near it. I had wanted to park and observe. If a contractor picked up workers, I planned to follow him to his job site and give him a warning about the law.

[azhenfud]

You're right. The tax angle raises more eyebrow than does illegal employment, although both are most often synonymous.

[abigailsmybaby]

I've been calling ICE all morning. I can't get through to report. The recording tells me all agents are busy to call back later. I guess that's a good thing! LOL

[doug from upland]

Make the call to employers. If enough of us do it, they will start worrying.

[doug from upland]

Unlicensed contractors plague west: illegal contractors have prompted the industry and government to react
Pool & Spa News, July 25, 2005 by Rebecca Robledo

The building and remodeling boom has attracted more unlicensed pool builders than ever into California and Arizona.

"It's sort of like the Wild, Wild West," said Harold Tapley, general manager at the Northern San Joaquin Valley Division of California builder Swan Pools.

Many illegal contractors urge homeowners to pull building permits, allowing them to work under the radar. Some use the "consultant" loophole, pretending to merely advise homeowners, but actually hiring subcontractors and supervising jobs. Some contractors, even licensed ones, ask customers to pay in cash so they can circumvent taxes and workers' compensation costs.

In the Phoenix area, owner-builders have recently accounted for one-third of permits pulled, said Bob Bradley, executive director of APSP's Arizona Chapter. Reports in Tapley's area show that nearly 1,000 permits have been pulled by owner-builders in the past five years.

Builders feel it in their bottom lines. "They're building houses as fast as they can put in streets," said Wayne Allen, president of Cross Creek Pools and Landscaping in Sacramento, Calif. "We should all be up 25 to 30 percent. Yet the legitimate pool builder--anybody I talk to--is reasonably flat."

To respond, industry associations and individual builders are complaining to government officials and even informing consumers about the underground economy.

To some extent, the government has been listening. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed forming the Economic and Employment Enforcement Coalition. The group, composed of four licensing and labor divisions, plans to perform two stings a month. "Not only will we issue citations against unlicensed contractors, but our partnering agencies will issue citation audits to address cash-pay and workers' compensation violations," said David Fogt, chief of enforcement at California's Contractors State License Board.

After listening to the local industry, the chief building official in the city of Tracy now distributes a letter to all homeowners who pull their own permits, explaining their responsibilities and risks as owner-builders. Don Burns, president/CEO of industry lobbyist SPEC, plans to provide this letter to all local officials in the hope that it will be distributed statewide.

The problem has even caught the attention of district attorneys, traditionally a more reluctant audience. "They just haven't got time," Burns said. "So they let [unlicensed contractors] go and never prosecute them. But we are finding a number of jurisdictions where the DAs are getting very much involved."

SPEC and APSP's Arizona Chapter file complaints against unlicensed contractors on behalf of members and consumers. This capitalizes on their relationships with the contractors boards and protects complainants from retaliation. "That's been one of the holdups," Bradley said. "A pool company will turn an unlicensed contractor in and the next thing they know, their company tires are being slashed or tools are being stolen."

Individual builders are in on the act, reporting any unlicensed activity they find. For prospective customers, Tapley plays a videotaped news report discussing the risks of unlicensed contractors and showing a local sting. "When somebody tells them they can save $10,000, that's a big carrot hanging out there," Tapley said. "Of course, they don't know what they're getting."

Illegal contractors have become such a concern that builders in Alien's area have set aside their competitiveness to form a loose coalition that communicates with local building officials. "We fully believe that if we don't do something, the entire industry is going to go more and more toward owner-builders, and we'll just disappear," Allen said.

Joshua Keim assisted in the reporting for this story.

[doug from upland]

reportillegals.com

americanpatrol.com

[doug from upland]

SOURCE

Press Release - Tucson Sector PIO

Posted by AP March 25, 2005

U.S. Border Patrol launches Operation "Be Alert"

Tucson, AZ - March 25 -- The Tucson Sector Border Patrol is implementing a new community based operation entitled "Be Alert".

The operation began on March 24th with the placement of five informational billboards along major highway arteries. The operation is aimed at providing another line of communication between the citizens of Arizona and the Border Patrol. Citizens will be able to contact the Border Patrol concerning alien and drug smuggling activities utilizing the toll-free telephone number (877-USBP HELP). In addition, as part of "Operation Be Alert", the toll-free number will be placed on all Border Patrol vehicles in the near future. Citizens can also call this telephone number to provide additional information, ask questions, offer comments and express concerns.

The billboards have been place in strategic locations along Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak, Speedway Blvd, and Hwy 83, on Hwy 90 near Huachuca City, and on Hwy 85 near Ajo.

"We are looking forward to hearing from the public." said Michael C. Nicley, Chief of Tucson Sector, "The information we receive will assist us with the identification and dismantling of smuggling organizations operating in the Southern Arizona region."

The Border Patrol is a division of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for managing and securing our nation's borders.

[abigailsmybaby]

I did. I got no answer so I left a message requesting they call me back. I've given them 1-1/2 days and I've heard nothing so I decided to go ahead and call ICE.

[doug from upland]

Please start calling employes and demand that they not use illegals or you will not give them your money anymore.

[doug from upland]

Wal-Mart Pays for Hiring Illegal Aliens
Immigration Issues Blog
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April 16, 2005
Wal-Mart Pays for Hiring Illegal Aliens
An investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement uncovered that contractors providing cleaning services to Wal-Mart hired illegal aliens for the job. The investigation ended March 18 with a landmark $11 million civil settlement. In addition, 12 corporations that provided contract janitorial services to Wal-Mart stores have agreed to forfeit an additional $4 million to the United States and have agreed to enter corporate guilty pleas to criminal immigration charges.

Announced by Assistant Secretary Michael Garcia, the $11 million civil settlement and the $4 million criminal forfeiture constitute the two most significant enforcement actions in the field of immigration employment sanctions since the laws were first enacted in 1986. The $11 million civil settlement alone is approximately four times larger than any other single payment received by the government in an illegal alien employment case.

“This case breaks new ground not only because this is a record dollar amount for a civil immigration settlement, but because this settlement requires Wal-Mart to create an internal program to ensure future compliance with immigration laws by Wal-Mart contractors and by Wal-Mart itself,” said Assistant Secretary Garcia. “ICE is committed to not only bringing charges against companies that violate our nation's immigration laws, but also working with them to ensure that they have programs in place to prevent future violations."

The case was a nationwide investigation into alleged employment of illegal aliens by cleaning companies that provided contract services to Wal-Mart. It was conducted by ICE, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, with the assistance of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the Honesdale, Pa., Police Department.

The investigation evolved out of two prior immigration operations that began in 1998 and 2001, respectively. These operations targeted cleaning contractors that were hiring unauthorized workers from Eastern Europe.

The follow-up investigation culminated on October 23, 2003, with a series of immigration enforcement actions at some 60 Wal-Mart stores in 21 states. In these actions, ICE agents arrested approximately 245 illegal aliens employed by cleaning contractors and put these individuals into deportation proceedings.

Immediately following these enforcement actions, officials at Wal-Mart contacted federal authorities and pledged cooperation in the investigation into the employment practices of its cleaning contractors. Wal-Mart also renewed its commitment to ensure full compliance with federal immigration laws. The corporate commitment by Wal-Mart led to the discussions that resulted in the civil settlement.

Under the terms of this civil settlement, Wal-Mart has agreed to the entry of a consent decree that:

Directs Wal-Mart to make a payment of $11 million through the United States Attorney’s Office;
Permanently enjoins Wal-Mart from knowingly hiring, recruiting and continuing to employ unauthorized aliens workers; Directs Wal-Mart to establish a means to verify that independent contractors are also taking reasonable steps to comply with immigration laws;
Directs Wal-Mart to provide, over the next 18 months, all of its store managers and future store managers with training regarding immigration employment laws while complying with pertinent anti-discrimination laws;
Directs Wal-Mart to maintain its own pre-existing program of taking reasonable steps to ensure that Wal-Mart employees are authorized to work in the United States, while complying with pertinent anti-discrimination laws; Directs Wal-Mart to continue cooperation in the investigation of the alleged illegal employment.

The civil settlement does not entail any admission of wrongdoing by any party. Courtesy ICE.

Is that why you pay $11 million?

[jetson]

Good for you doug. More of us need to tighten up the cahonies and do the same thing.

[jetson]

ICE HOME PAGE http://www.ice.gov/graphics/about/index.htm

[abigailsmybaby]

I finally got through. Turned in big time home builder with many building sites around central California. The lady told me that she would pass the info on to the local ICE agents in that area that investigates businesses.

What I find to be absolutely stupid is that everybody and their dog knows building contractors hire illegals. Why aren't the authorities out patroling the sites already? Or just waiting at the Home Depot every morning.