Thread: 14 ILLEGAL WORKERS ARRESTED AT GREATER NEW ORLEANS

14 ILLEGAL WORKERS ARRESTED AT GREATER NEW ORLEANS INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION COUNCIL
ICE Special Agents team up to protect the petroleum industry

KENNER, La. - Fourteen illegal aliens were arrested Friday at the Greater New Orleans Industrial Education Council (GNOIEC) in Kenner, La., announced Michael A. Holt, special agent-in-charge of the New Orleans office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The arrested workers were employed by A Golden Seal Restoration and were scheduled to work at the Conoco Phillips Alliance Refinery in Belle Chasse, La. All of the arrested workers possessed counterfeit social security cards and identity documents, which they presented to A Golden Seal Restoration to obtain employment. GNOIEC is a non-profit organization that provides safety-training classes for workers at petrochemical plants in the greater New Orleans area.

ICE has been working with the GNOIEC organization to train their staff and assist in identifying foreign nationals who use counterfeit documents to obtain employment at critical infrastructure sites. The training program has been successful, and ICE and GNOIEC routinely work together to share information.

The arrests are part of an ongoing ICE criminal investigation of subcontractors operating in the petroleum industry. Critical infrastructures such as airports, defense installations, and bio-agriculture industries are a primary law enforcement priority of ICE.

As of today, 14 illegal workers were identified as having attempted to access the Conoco-Phillips Petroleum Refinery. The individuals have been presented for prosecution to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana on charges that include using fraudulent documents to gain employment or illegal re-entry to the United States after deportation.

"This was a targeted law enforcement action based upon information developed over a long period," said Holt. "Protecting the integrity of the petroleum industry in this region is a crucial part of ICE's continuing enforcement strategy. When an individual uses fraudulent documents to get a job, they hide their true identity and history. We need to know exactly who is working on our critical infrastructure programs.

Under federal law, employers who knowingly hire or refer unauthorized workers face criminal prosecution and substantial fines. To aid employers with the screening process, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - a separate agency under the Department of Homeland Security - operates the Basic Pilot Program, a Web-based system that businesses can use to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired workers. Nationwide, there are more than 15,000 employer sites linked into the Basic Pilot Program. Interested employers may call 1-888-464-4218 to obtain more information about the program.

Friday's arrests are the latest in ICE's ongoing efforts to target and remove illegal aliens working at sensitive sites and critical infrastructure locations around the nation, including defense facilities, nuclear plants, chemical plants, airports and seaports. In accordance with ICE's homeland security mission, ICE special agents prioritize worksite enforcement efforts by focusing on investigations related to critical infrastructure and national security
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsre ... kenner.htm

14 ? 14? I mean half of arizona is illegal and they only arrest 14? Oh great ..........................

Originally Posted by thelmahopkins

14 ? 14? I mean half of arizona is illegal and they only arrest 14? Oh great ..........................

I know what you mean thelma. When I go on The ICE web site, I should be seeing numbers in the Thousands instead of 10's

Originally Posted by thelmahopkins

14 ? 14? I mean half of arizona is illegal and they only arrest 14? Oh great ..........................

Its ridiculous! Who, exactly, are ICE trying to impress?