Thread: 2 buffet workers religious refugees

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/97828.asp

2 buffet workers religious refugees
Chinese say they were persecuted for being Christian

By JAYETTE BOLINSKI
STAFF WRITER
Published Tuesday, October 10, 2006


Two of the alleged illegal immigrants who were arrested last month during a raid on Springfield's Buffet City restaurant were political refugees persecuted in China for their religious beliefs, according to a document filed last week in federal court.


Five of the illegals, who are described as material witnesses in the document, are asking a judge to schedule depositions for them, which could end their roles in the criminal case against the two co-owners of the restaurant.

The co-owners, Xiang Hui Ye, 28, of the 3300 block of Gaines Mill Road and Xian Xi Ye, 39, of the 2700 block of Kipling Drive, are accused of harboring illegal aliens and hiring or recruiting illegals for employment.

The five witnesses - Yan Feng Ye, 23; Xiang Jin Ye, 27; Pandeng Chen, 30; Jin Cheng Li, 25; and Mateo Vasquez-Flores, 32 - were among 16 people taken into custody Sept. 20 when federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided Buffet City, 1774 Wabash Ave.

The motion for depositions, filed Monday, includes the following details about the five witnesses:


Mateo Vasquez-Flores is a Mexican citizen who is "immediately deportable," according to the document. Two of his brothers apparently were taken into custody during the raid, but were released as material witnesses. A third brother was detained and has been charged with re-entry after deportation for an aggravated felony.

Yang Feng Ye is a legal permanent resident of Canada "whose status in the United States is merely that of a short overstay of a legal tourist visa," the document explains. Xiang Hui Ye is her brother, and she stayed with him at his home. She apparently has a job in Toronto, according to the document.

Pandeng Chen is a political refugee who was persecuted in China because of his membership in the unofficial and banned Christian Church in China. He reportedly was thrown out of Fuzhou University, where he studied water systems, because of his affiliation with the church. He has been in the United States less than a year and could seek political asylum, a process that takes about six months.

Little information was provided in the document about Xiang Jin Ye, other than to say her testimony "is very important to the prosecution's case and her counsel believes her testimony will be very effective at causing at least Xiang Hui Ye to plead guilty."

Jin Cheng Li is a political refugee who also fled China for fear of being persecuted for his membership in the underground Christian Church. He has sought political asylum in the United States, but it is pending.
The government contends that from Jan. 15, 2005, to Sept. 11, 2006, Xiang Hui Ye and Xiang Xi Ye hired illegal aliens to work at Buffet City and provided housing for them in nearby apartments on Seven Pines and Gaines Mill roads.

A review of Buffet City payroll information by a U.S. Department of Labor investigator determined the workers were underpaid by $266,366 over a two-year period. Sixteen employees of the restaurant were taken into custody Sept. 20. All face deportation to China and Mexico.

In addition to arresting Xiang Hui Ye, authorities the same day seized bank accounts in the name of Buffet City, Xiang Hui Ye and others and the contents of a safe deposit box in the name of Xiang Hui Ye and Xiang Xi Ye.

Xiang Hui Ye has denied he is an owner of the business. According to Illinois secretary of state records, the business Buffet City was registered as a corporation, with Xiang Xi Ye listed as president and Xiang Hui Ye listed as secretary.

Harboring illegal aliens is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison for each person involved. Hiring or recruiting illegal aliens is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine of $3,000 for each illegal alien.


Jayette Bolinski can be reached at 788-1530 or jayette.bolinski@sj-r.com.

I'm not sure what the US policy is on Refugees from China, but you would think if they were being persecuted that they could have contacted our Government officials and been given some help.

I know that China is tough on Christians. In China bibles have to be registered with the government like they were some kind of weapon.

However, knowingly hiring illegals is against law.

Don't be mean to China...I mean they just want to deliver there cheap commodity heroin to all the Wal-mart junkies..at a lower roll back price...