http://hr.blr.com/display.cfm/id/18271

05/15/2006
Restaurant Owner Arrested on Immigration Charge

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) special agents arrested one of the owners of a Mexican restaurant in St. Joseph, Missouri, on a charge that he knowingly hired illegal aliens to work at his restaurants.

The agents arrested Julio Zapala-Urbina, co-owner of Julio's Mexican Restaurants in St. Joseph and Cedar Falls, Iowa . ICE agents also conducted administrative arrest of nine illegal aliens at his St. Joseph restaurant and 12 illegal aliens at his Cedar Falls restaurant .

The agency says it has stepped up its efforts to enforce immigration laws at worksites. The agency has announced a number of arrests in recent weeks.

"Businesses who knowingly employ illegal aliens are on notice that they will be criminally prosecuted," says Pete Baird, assistant special agent-in-charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Kansas City . "Using ICE's unique immigration and customs law enforcement authorities, we'll also make every effort to seize all assets that may be associated with the illegal activity."

According to the criminal complaint, many of the employees never completed any paperwork or produced any documentation indicating that they were legally authorized to work in the United States . Since 1986, all newly hired employees must complete Form I-9 in which they declare their citizenship. The I-9 also indicates what documents they used to prove their legal work status.