Free Republic

CHICAGO (AP) — Federal immigration agents will end mass workplace arrests of immigrant employees suspected of living in the U.S. without legal permission, according to a memo issued Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Instead, the focus will shift to pursuing “unscrupulous employers who exploit the vulnerability of undocumented workers” and emphasize fighting worker abuse including paying substandard wages, unsafe working conditions and human trafficking. The three-page memo directs the heads of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection and Citizenship and Immigration Services to draw up a plan within two months to increase employer penalties, encourage workers...

A national U.S. immigration sweep has netted more than 1,000 illegal workers and resulted in the arrests of at least nine people who employed them. U.S. Attorney Glenn Suddaby in Albany, N.Y., said the raid focused on IFCO Systems, which is a manufacturer of wooden pallets, crates and containers. Arrests were made in nearly 40 locations including Houston, Cincinnati, Phoenix and Albany, CNN reported. A customs official said federal authorities checked a sample of 5,800 IFCO employee records last year and found that 53 percent had Social Security numbers of dead people children or individuals who did not work at...

Federal agents raided a west Jackson business Wednesday morning. It was part of a nationwide crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants. While politicians continue to debate immigration reform, so-called "ICE" agents launched the crackdown on undocumented workers. Surprise raids were carried out at a number of 'IFCO' businesses. One bust was right here in Jackson. The well-organized early morning crackdown by "ICE" agents took place in several locations. Among them, Houston, Texas, Albany, New York, Portland, Oregon and Jackson, Mississippi. Agents arrested suspected illegal immigrants working for 'IFCO Systems' based in Houston, Texas. One man whose brother was taken into custody...

Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency raided a poultry plant in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, this week, arresting 119 plant workers the agency said were illegal aliens, the Siftings Herald News has reported. Ronnie Farnam, manager of the Petit Jean Poultry operation, was quoted as saying the company had to cut production by about 70 per cent due to the loss of workers, but he believes many of the workers actually have the necessary paperwork to stay in the United States. He said the federal agents entered the plant without warning. "It was disturbing. There was no reason for...