Posted on 07/12/2007 12:09:09 PM PDT by Dubya
Nineteen people were arrested at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants around the country as part of a sweep involving illegal immigrant workers at the plants, according to a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Agents made the arrests Tuesday in Cactus, Texas; Marshalltown, Iowa; Grand Island, Neb.; Worthington, Minn.; Greeley, Colo.; and Hyrum, Utah; where Swift has plants. They involved current or former Swift workers suspected of identity theft, ICE officials said in a news release.
Seven of the arrests were at the Swift plant in Cactus, Texas, said Carl Rusnok, an ICE spokesman in Dallas.
"Swift is to be commended not only for its cooperation ... but for its continuing efforts to improve its hiring practices in order to ensure a legal workforce," said Julie L. Myers, ICE assistant secretary.
Officials with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union said that agents did not appear to use the "same level of intimidation and overkill" as they did in December raids in six cities that resulted in more than 1,200 immigrant workers being arrested.
Dan Hoppes, president of the local United Food and Commercial Workers Union in Grand Island, Neb., said immigration officials came to the plants with five warrants but only three of the workers were present.
Hoppes characterized the operation as far less aggressive than the raids in December that resulted in 261 arrests at the plant.
"It was done the right way this time," Hoppes said. "Not like last time, for crying out loud."
In Iowa, union representative Braulio Pereyra and human resources worker Chris Lamb were arrested at the Swift meatpacking plant in Marshalltown on charges of bringing in and harboring illegal immigrants, said Richard Rocha, an ICE spokesman.
The arrests were part of the ongoing investigation into identity theft and illegal employment, Rocha said.
The U.S. attorney's office said two other people in Iowa were charged with immigration and identity theft-related charges and were being sought. No other information on those individuals was released.
Three other people at the plant were detained to determine if they are in the country legally, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Aside from the 19 arrests, ICE agents arrested a Swift supervisor in Greeley, Colo., for immigration violations. Another supervisor was arrested by police for an outstanding arrest warrant involving traffic violations.
Dave Minshall, spokesman for the Food and Commercial Workers union Local No. 7 in Greeley, Colo., said Tuesday that agents had at least 40 arrest warrants for suspects in Greeley; Cactus, Texas; Marshalltown; and Worthington, Minn.
The latest arrests included help from the Federal Trade Commission, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, along with four U.S. attorney's offices and two district attorney's offices.
In the December raids, no charges were filed against Swift, a Greeley-based company that bills itself as the world's second largest beef and pork processor.
Officials with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union said that agents did not appear to use the "same level of intimidation and overkill" as they did in December raids in six cities that resulted in more than 1,200 immigrant workers being arrested.
Dan Hoppes, president of the local United Food and Commercial Workers Union in Grand Island, Neb., said immigration officials came to the plants with five warrants but only three of the workers were present.
Hoppes characterized the operation as far less aggressive than the raids in December that resulted in 261 arrests at the plant.
"It was done the right way this time," Hoppes said. "Not like last time, for crying out loud."
In Iowa, union representative Braulio Pereyra and human resources worker Chris Lamb were arrested at the Swift meatpacking plant in Marshalltown on charges of bringing in and harboring illegal immigrants, said Richard Rocha, an ICE spokesman.
The only way to halt illegal immigration.
Why are they still in business? The last time they were in the news it was because the Somalis they imported to work for them were angry about the lack of prayer rooms.
WOW! 19 arrests!!!!
Now ICE is using kidd gloves to arrest criminals? They should use every bit of "intimidation and overkill" they can! That kind of action makes the news ... and the repeated reporting and whining by the MSM only helps to intimidate the criminals more!!!
Yup. Finally! Busting the HR guys is the only thing that will start making other companies think twice about hiring illegal labor.
ping
Wish they’d come to my area. Of course, 19 arrests wouldn’t even make a dent in the number of illegals here.
I’m sure 19 isn’t a drop in the bucket there, either. What did they do, show up before the place opened? I think maybe 190 would be a more realistic start.
I live near the town of Imlay City in rural Michigan. We have a plant that makes Vlassic Pickles that is substantially staffed by illegal immigrants. Vlassic constantly runs ads in Spanish on the local radio stations. The workers are paid $7.15 an hour.
I know the movie star has voted against stiff penalties for companies that hire illegals so i’m not counting on much help there.
From:
In the December raids, no charges were filed against Swift, a Greeley-based company that bills itself as the world’s second largest beef and pork processor.
To:
Aside from the 19 arrests, ICE agents arrested a Swift supervisor in Greeley, Colo., for immigration violations
Slap fines on the employers that would bring tears to a glass eye! $5,000 for each illegal employee the first time.
$10,000 the second, $25,000 the third.
We mean business, Business!!!
“The workers are paid $7.15 an hour.”
That is probably what they were paid 20 years ago!
Whatever happened to the 1200 illegals who were arrested??
Only 11,999,981 to go!
Only 19? Those must have been the ones in wheelchairs who couldn’t avoid capture.
That's what I was paid thirty years ago for a starting wage at U.S. Steel. But, according to the super-capitalists wages have gone up over the last thirty years and we are richer than ever.
“That’s what I was paid thirty years ago for a starting wage at U.S. Steel. But, according to the super-capitalists wages have gone up over the last thirty years and we are richer than ever”
The owners are richer than ever! Illegals are destroying the middle class base. Many Americans are now working 2 jobs to get by. Not everyone in America is exectitve material.
The best part is they are finally targeting the legals that are facilitating this invasion.
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