250 Arrested in Allen TX. in Largest I.C.E. Operation in 10 years

250 Arrested in Allen in Largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement Operation in 10 Years

Families of those detained can call 1-888-351-4024 for more information on the status of those arrested

By Frank Heinz

Published 5 hours ago | Updated 1 minute ago

Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are detaining people at an Allen business Wednesday. (Published 5 hours ago)

Officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations arrested more than 250 people at an Allen business Wednesday as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, ICE officials say.

HSI officials told NBC 5 that a search warrant was executed at the business as part of an ongoing criminal worksite investigation.

In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, ICE officials the employees were unlawfully working in the US and were arrested on immigration violations.

"As far as immigration related arrests, this is the largest ICE worksite operation at one site in the last 10 years," said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, HSI Dallas.

HSI said the investigation began after officials received a tip that the company, which repairs and refurbishes electronics used in telecommunications, may have knowingly hired illegal aliens and that many of the employees were using fraudulent identification documents.

An audit undertaken in January of the company's I-9 forms indicated numerous hiring irregularities, officials said.

From Texas Sky Ranger, ICE agents could be seen searching and handcuffing a number of people outside CVE Group on Enterprise Boulevard and placing them onto one of five large buses.

"Businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens create an unfair advantage over their competing businesses," said Berger. "In addition, they take jobs away from U.S. citizens and legal residents, and they create an atmosphere poised for exploiting their illegal workforce."

HSI said all of those arrested and detained Wednesday will be interviewed by ICE staff to determine if they'll remain in custody or if they are to be considered for humanitarian release.

In all cases, HSI said, all illegal aliens encountered will be fingerprinted and processed for removal from the United States.

A 24-hour toll-free detainee locator hotline is available for family members of those arrested. The hotline is designed to answer questions, in both English and Spanish, about those detained, their location and status. That number is 1-888-351-4024.

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Pe...508059791.html

AUDIT welfare, food stamps, schools, banks, Section 8 housing, and healthcare!

Load them up and move them out!

News Releases

WORKSITE ENFORCEMENT

04/03/2019

ICE executes federal criminal search warrant in North Texas


More than 280 aliens administratively arrested on immigration violations while executing a criminal search warrant

https://www.ice.gov/sites/default/fi...?itok=DxYltUk3


ALLEN, Texas — As part of an ongoing criminal investigation, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed criminal search warrants at CVE Technology Group Inc. (CVE), and four of CVE’s staffing companies.

HSI arrested on administrative immigration violations more than 280 CVE company employees who were unlawfully working in the United States at this telecommunications equipment-repair business.

This ongoing investigation began after HSI received multiple tips that the company may have knowingly hired illegal aliens, and that many of the individuals employed at CVE were using fraudulent identification documents. In January 2019, HSI began an audit of CVE’s I-9 Forms, which confirmed numerous hiring irregularities.

“Businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens create an unfair advantage over their competing businesses,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, HSI Dallas.

“In addition, they take jobs away from U.S. citizens and legal residents, and they create an atmosphere poised for exploiting their illegal workforce.”

All of the immigration status violators arrested April 3 will be interviewed by ICE staff to record any medical, sole-caregiver or other humanitarian situations. Based on these interviews, ICE will determine if those arrested remain in custody or are considered for humanitarian release. In all cases, all illegal aliens encountered will be fingerprinted and processed for removal from the United States.

A 24-hour toll-free detainee locator hotline is available for family members of those arrested in this operation to address questions about their detention location and status, and the removal process. This hotline operates in English and Spanish; the phone number is 1-888-351-4024.

This HSI-led enforcement action was coordinated with federal, state and local counterparts including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.

HSI is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for upholding the laws established by the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which requires employers to verify the identity and work eligibility of individuals they hire.

These laws help protect jobs for U.S. citizens and lawful U.S. residents, eliminate unfair competitive advantages for companies that unlawfully hire an illegal workforce, and strengthen public safety and national security.

Unauthorized workers often use stolen identities of legal U.S. workers, which can profoundly damage for years the identity-theft victim’s credit, medical records and other aspects of their everyday life.

HSI’s worksite enforcement investigators help combat worker exploitation, illegal wages, child labor and other illegal practices. Worksite enforcement investigations often involve additional criminal activity, such as alien smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, document fraud, worker exploitation and/or substandard wage and working conditions.

In addition to worksite enforcement operations like this one, HSI also uses I-9 audits to create a culture of compliance among employers. In July, ICE announced a two-phase operation under this effort.

Last Reviewed/Updated: 04/03/2019

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ic...nt-north-texas

Working at CVE Technology Group, Inc.: Employee Reviews | Indeed ...
https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Cve-Technology-Group,-Inc./reviews

Rating: 3.1 - ‎12 reviews
Reviews from current and former CVE Technology Group, Inc. employees about ... the majority of employees are brought in through a temp staffing company.

No "humanitarian" release!

Deport the whole family.

Stop rewarding these lawbreakers and the businesses who hire them!

UPDATE

"The 280 employees who were arrested are from different counties. Officials did not yet have a breakdown of which countries they were from."

UPDATE

"KTVT spoke with one man whose fiancée was among those detained Wednesday. Edgar Arrubla said she is from Colombia and here in the U.S. on a tourist visa, but she's not authorized to work here."

"Wendy Armas, a Guatemalan national with two teen children, told NBCDFW.com she's worked at CVE since arriving in the USA five years ago. She said she was arrested and bused away, then released after promising to appear in court next month."

"With over 2,000 employees, CVE is the third-largest employer in Allen, Texas.
Losing about 15 percent of their staff due to the raid could have a detrimental affect on the business and the town. "

http://immigrationimpact.com/2019/04...n-raid-decade/

"Felix Villalobos is a volunteer at RAICES, a nonprofit organization that offers legal counseling to refugees and immigrants.

Villalobos says some will of the people who worked at CVE will be released with a notice to appear before a judge at a later date, others will have to bond out, and those with prior criminal and or immigration records will more than likely remain in ICE custody and deported within a few weeks.

“That’s what I want to find out is do you already have a removal order? Because if you do your chances are extremely limited,” said Villalobos. There is very little I can do for you.”

He says those who will be released or bond out and go through the immigration justice system could have to undergo a process that lasts several years.

“The odds of winning in immigration court are pretty low and general”, about the challenges of fighting a deportation,” he said.

However, Villalobos said there are current laws and policies, including asylum privileges that might apply on a case by case basis."

@ https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/04/04/nonprofit-helping-texas-families-ice-raid//

People ICE arrested in Texas raid from 15 countries

"Valerie Trevino told The Dallas Morning News that her mother, Graciela Velazquez, moved from Mexico 25 years ago and has worked for the company for years. Trevino said her mom doesn’t have a criminal record."

https://ktla.com/2019/04/04/ice-arre...orkplace-raid/

Bean Station ICE raid: One year later, workers still wait to learn fates