Thread: 300 illegal immigrants held after S.C. I.C.E. raid (Now 331)

Workers ran for the doors when agents arrived at Greenville chicken plant, witnesses say
By Paul Alongi • STAFF WRITER • October 7, 2008

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Buzz up! Numerous federal agents executed a search warrant on the Columbia Farms chicken processing plant in Greenville today and detained workers they believed were in the country illegally, said U.S. Attorney Walt Wilkins.


Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents went into the plant, which is owned by House of Raeford, following a 10-month investigation into the plant’s hiring practices, Wilkins said.

"The execution went extremely well," he said. "It was very successful."

House of Raeford president Don Taber couldn't be reached for comment.

Workers inside the plant at the time of the raid said that several workers started running for the doors about 8:50 a.m.

"I had duck to back into the bathroom to keep from getting trampled," janitor Herbert Oscar Rooker said.

Nicole Freeman said she was putting a chicken breast on a machine when the running began. Some of the workers were yelling, "Policia!" and "ICE!" she said.

Agents blocked the doors, and workers were directed into a break room, Freeman said.

All U.S. citizens were told to go to one side of the room, while non-citizens were directed to the other side, Freeman said. She estimated the crowd at about 300.

Workers had to write down their names, where they were born and their parents’ names, Freeman said.

"They made us show our ID," she said.

Workers who were allowed to leave had to put on blue wristbands bearing their names to get out the door, Freeman said.

While about 450 agents were involved in today’s operation, not all of them were on the scene, Wilkins said.

Wilkins said he didn’t know how many workers were detained and that he expected to release more information at a 2p.m. press conference.

Truck driver Richard Worley said he was going to pick up his trailer when he saw "about 100" agents swarm the plant. From the outside of the plant, he couldn’t see workers running, he said.

"It’s just wild," Worley said.

Wilkins said the majority of illegal workers will be administratively processed and deported. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will handle any cases deemed worthy of prosecution, he said.



In the raid’s aftermath, friends and family gathered outside the Columbia Farms’ gate to await word on their loved ones.

Three small children ran around a tree and kicked rocks. A woman wiped away tears.

Melissa Islas of Greenville waited to learn about her friend, who she said was a single father of a 17-month-old boy named Anthony.

"If I have to, I’ll take care of him," she said.

Earlier this year, 12 of the plant’s supervisors were arrested and indicted, Wilkins said. Seven have pleaded guilty, and one case is pending, he said.

Some workers were confused about when they were supposed to return to the plant.

"I came out here because the officer told me to go home," supervisor Luis Mahecha said.

But Mahecha said he saw his boss outside, and he said, "Don’t go. We’re trying to work later on."

Freeman said she was worried.

"If they took all of our workers," she said, "we’re out of work."

Paul Alongi can be reached at 298-4746.

http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pb ... OURUPSTATE

I.C.E. News Release

October 07, 2008

Approximately 300 Arrested by Ice Agents During Search of South Carolina Poultry Processing Plant

GREENVILLE, S.C. - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents executed a federal criminal search warrant today at the Columbia Farms poultry processing plant as part of an ongoing, ten-month criminal investigation into its employment practices, which has already resulted in criminal charges against 11 supervisors and one human resources manager. The announcement was made by ICE Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Investigations in Atlanta, Kenneth A. Smith, and W. Walter Wilkins, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

ICE agents are searching for evidence relating to the unauthorized employment of illegal aliens and other crimes. Today's enforcement action continues; however, thus far agents have administratively arrested approximately 300 illegal aliens.

Mr. Wilkins stated, "Our office is charged with enforcing the immigration laws against aliens who illegally enter our country, and those who illegally harbor and employ them. The execution of this search warrant today marks an important phase of this ongoing investigation into the hiring practices of this employer. Aggressive enforcement and investigative actions are vital to the integrity of our immigration system."

"Today's enforcement operation is the latest step in a comprehensive criminal investigation focused on identifying the individuals involved in allowing unauthorized workers to gain employment," said Smith. "ICE targets employers because the promise of employment draws illegal workers across our borders. By holding employers accountable, we are diminishing the magnet and discouraging others from breaking the law."

All of those administratively arrested will be interviewed, fingerprinted, and photographed by ICE agents and processed for removal from the United States. Everyone encountered will be medically screened and interviewed by a Public Health Service officer to determine if they have any medical, caregiver, or other humanitarian concerns. As a result of these screenings, ICE will identify individuals eligible for humanitarian release. So far, approximately 58 of the individuals arrested today have been identified as being eligible for an alternative to detention based on humanitarian reasons. These individuals will still be required to appear before a federal immigration judge who will ultimately determine whether or not they will be deported. Any juveniles found to be in the country illegally who cannot be released to the custody of a trusted adult will be transferred into the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

ICE has contacted local consular officials, community groups, and the local school district to ensure they have accurate information regarding the operation. ICE has also established a toll-free number for family members to find out more information about the detention status of those arrested. Family members may call: 1-866-341-3858.

ICE agents will refer cases to the U.S. Attorney's Office for criminal prosecution upon identifying individuals who are in possession of stolen or unauthorized identification information, have previously been deported following a criminal felony conviction, or appear to be involved in other criminal activity. Any individuals identified as proper candidates for criminal prosecution will be remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service.

The operation today follows the criminal cases filed earlier this year against 12 plant supervisory employees. In June, arrest warrants were issued for 11 supervisors at the plant, alleging that the men, all of Mexico, were illegally in the country, and were engaged in aggravated identity theft and the making of false statements to ICE authorities. Of the 11 charged, seven have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing:

Juan Rodriguez, age 27; Juan Suarez, age 28; Evaristo Vasquez, age 39; Simon Gomez, age 28; Juan Olivares, age 32; Guadalupe Templos, age 34, and Federico Perez, age 37.

Two others are awaiting trial:

Victor Cruz-Soto and Nain Zarate-Camarero, both 28 years old.
The final two supervisors, Reyes Ramos and Fortino Cruz, were also charged with the same offenses but have not been arrested and are considered fugitives. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact the ICE toll-free tip line by dialing 1-877-2-DHS-ICE.

In July, the 12th individual charged was Elaine Crump, age 48, of Greenville, a human resources manager at the plant. She was indicted on 20 counts for filing false I-9 employment identification forms and is awaiting trial.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was established in March 2003 as the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security. ICE is comprised of five integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.

Last Modified: Tuesday, October 7, 2008
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0810/081007greenville.htm

Mr. Wilkins stated, "Our office is charged with enforcing the immigration laws against aliens who illegally enter our country, and those who illegally harbor and employ them. The execution of this search warrant today marks an important phase of this ongoing investigation into the hiring practices of this employer. Aggressive enforcement and investigative actions are vital to the integrity of our immigration system."

AMEN!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,433841,00.html

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Federal agents detained more than 300 suspected illegal immigrants Tuesday in a raid at a chicken processing plant that has been under investigation for months.

The raid took place during a shift change, when police and federal agents spread through the House of Raeford's Columbia Farms plant and ordered all workers to show identification, according to officials and witnesses.

Maria Juan, 22, was one of about 50 relatives and friends of workers who huddled at the edge of the plant after the raid, some weeping and others talking frantically on cell phones. She was seeking information about her 68-year-old grandmother, a legal immigrant from Guatemala who went to work without identification papers but was later released.

"Families are going to be broken apart," Juan said. "There will be kids and babies left behind. Why are they doing this? Why? They didn't do anything. They only wanted to work."

Immigration officials kept the workers inside the plant and spent most of the morning trying to interview them and figure out how many are in the U.S. illegally, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald said.

The number could be large. A recent review found that immigration paperwork for more than 775 of 825 workers contained false information, McDonald said. Immigration agents scoured the plant for paperwork and other information for the investigation.

House of Raeford processes chickens and turkeys in eight plants in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan. A sales manager at the Greenville plant referred questions to the company's Rose Hill, N.C., headquarters, where a woman answering the phone said there was no immediate comment.

Federal prosecutors and immigration agents have been investigating the plant's hiring practices for several months. Twelve people have been charged, most accused of falsifying documents. Seven have pleaded guilty, three are awaiting trial and two have fled, McDonald said.

The Charlotte Observer first reported in February that plant workers were in the country illegally and company managers knew it.

One plant worker backed up that account Tuesday.

"Everyone knew most of the workers were illegal. It was no secret. We just came in and did our work and you kept to yourself," said Dorothy Anthony, who works with sister Alice on the deboning line.

The women, both American citizens, were released after showing ID.

Many workers live near the plant and drivers in the neighborhood stopped Tuesday to ask about them.

Officials are arranging to care for the children of workers detained in the raid, one of several nationwide this year.

In August, more than 600 suspected illegal immigrants were detained at a Mississippi transformer plant in the largest single-workplace immigration raid in U.S. history. And in May, federal immigration officials swept into Agriprocessors, the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant, in Iowa. Nearly 400 workers were detained and dozens of fraudulent permanent resident alien cards were seized from the plant's human resources department, according to court records.

The number could be large. A recent review found that immigration paperwork for more than 775 of 825 workers contained false information, McDonald said.

Then why were only 300 arrested? If 775 of the workers had fraudulant papers, then ALL of them should have been arrested.

"Families are going to be broken apart," Juan said. "There will be kids and babies left behind. Why are they doing this? Why? They didn't do anything. They only wanted to work."

Juan, ICE is conducting raids because illegal immigrants are NOT ALLOWED TO WORK IN AMERICA. THATS WHY.

Too bad families might be split up. Illegal immigrants have been aware that raids were going on all through the country. They had the OPTION TO LEAVE AND TAKE THEIR FAMILIES WITH THEM.

More from the ILLEGAL EMPLOYER'S Website.

The ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS, Chamber of Commerce, and other Special Interest Groups always claim to follow Immigration Laws but continuously become confused about the interpretation of the law.

http://www.houseofraeford.com/business/release.html

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

HOUSE OF RAEFORD COOPERATING IN ICE INVESTIGATION

Rose Hill, NC, June 20, 2008

House of Raeford would like to clarify recent news coverage of Federal law enforcement investigations into forged or fraudulent documents submitted to the company by some job applicants and some current or former employees. The company is cooperating, and will continue to cooperate, with State and Federal law enforcement authorities in this investigation.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is conducting a nationwide investigation of the documentation used by some individuals to establish their eligibility to work in this country. As part of this investigation, last December ICE contacted House of Raeford to request copies of I-9 forms that some employees of our Greenville, SC plant completed when they accepted employment. We complied promptly with this request.

A local paper reported Thursday, June 19, 2008 that five supervisors at the company's Greenville, SC, plant had been arrested for making false statements or providing false documentation about their eligibility to work in the U.S. The initial reports erroneously implied that the employees were arrested at the plant. That is incorrect. All five individuals were arrested at locations other than the plant.

House of Raeford does not knowingly hire illegal workers. Every employee is required to complete a federal I-9 form before commencing employment. The I-9 form is intended to verify the employee's eligibility to work in the United States. However, the I-9 was a product of political compromise, and while it requires applicants to submit certain documents to verify their eligibility to work, it also imposes limitations on the documents employers can ask for or examine.

· First, only certain documents may be requested by the employer as proof of eligibility for employment. Some employers have actually been sued by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Special Counsel for asking for more documentation than is allowed.

· Second, document forgery has become a very sophisticated business, making detection of fraudulent documents difficult.

· Third, in addition to potentially being sued by the government for going beyond the limits on the I-9 form, our company could be sued by an individual who is eligible to work but denied a job if one of our employees makes an error in evaluating the documents.

· Finally, it should be noted that the Federal government specifically advises employers that they are not expected to be "document experts," and says that employers should have to spend no more than five minutes verifying the employee's eligibility to work, including examination of the documents presented.

The company can only hire people who apply for work, and in recent years a large proportion of job applicants have been Latino. House of Raeford offers competitive pay and benefits, and does not discriminate in its hiring on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, or any other prohibited factor. All of our employees pay their share of State and Federal taxes, including Medicaid and social security. We will continue to support and cooperate in the enforcement of all State and Federal laws, including immigration laws.

***END***

I read this when I got home from work today. ICE hasn't forgotten South Carolina after all. Half a million illegals here and they got the first 300. Only 499,700 left to go. This crap is for show. If the federal and state governments wanted to fix illegal immigration it would be fixed in a couple of months. Instead they put on a show here and there to convince us that that everything is a-okay and that they are in charge. Meanwhile, 300 more illegals just walked across our southern border to replace them in the time it took me to write this.

In March 2009 we might get E-Verifying of everyone in the workforce. Educate elected officials: local, state, and federal levels. I-9s, a form for immigrants has not been verified by the government in over 20 years. It has been an employer's hay day of firing Americans and hiring undocumented immigrants for so many years.

House of Raeford does not knowingly hire illegal workers. Every employee is required to complete a federal I-9 form before commencing employment. The I-9 form is intended to verify the employee's eligibility to work in the United States. However, the I-9 was a product of political compromise, and while it requires applicants to submit certain documents to verify their eligibility to work, it also imposes limitations on the documents employers can ask for or examine.

Employers collect data or information onto the form I-9; but they never have had to verify it through Federal Immigration Services to check an immigration legal resident status here in America. (WHAT A MESS! Demand E-Verify!)

More than 300 arrested in immigration sweep
Agents target a chicken processing plant in South Carolina, the latest raid in a stepped-up federal enforcement effort.

By Richard Fausset, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 8, 2008

More than 300 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested Tuesday morning at a chicken processing plant near Greenville, S.C. -- the latest in a stepped-up federal enforcement effort that has resulted in the deportation of thousands of illegal workers in recent months.

Tuesday's raid was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and involved hundreds of agents from numerous agencies. The target was Columbia Farms, a processing plant that had been the subject of a 10-month criminal investigation.

Resident David Wynn witnessed the hubbub from down the street and applauded the news.

"The excuse that they're taking jobs that Americans won't do -- well, that just doesn't hold water anymore," said Wynn, 48, the co-owner of a nearby air-conditioning wholesaler who spoke Tuesday afternoon by phone. "With the economic crisis we've got going on, we've got to put a stop to it."

Workplace raids such as the one at Columbia Farms have become increasingly common as the Bush administration draws near its end, especially since Congress last year failed to pass an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. Critics decry what they contend is the rough treatment of illegal immigrants, as well as the disruption to families.

On Tuesday, ICE Special Agent Kenneth A. Smith of Atlanta said the Greenville raid and others like it get to the root of the problem.

"ICE targets employers because the promise of employment draws illegal workers across our borders," Smith said in a statement. "By holding employers accountable we are diminishing the magnet and discouraging others from breaking the law."

Federal officials earlier this year arrested 12 supervisors at the plant. Eleven of them, all Mexican men, were illegal immigrants who were charged with aggravated identity theft and making false statements.

Seven have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The twelfth was a human resources manager, Elaine Crump, 48. She was indicted on 20 counts of filing false federal identification forms.

Barbara Gonzalez, an ICE spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the investigation was not complete.

"We collected evidence, and we are going to go where that evidence takes us," she said.

Officials at the poultry company could not be reached for comment.

www.latimes.com

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http://www.alipac.us/article-3613--0-0.html