Immigrant arrests continue in suburbs
By Tara Malone | Daily Herald Staff
Published: 8/29/2007 12:18 AM
An immigration crackdown continues to unfold in the far northern suburbs, federal officials said Tuesday.

The enforcement push targets specific individuals who "pose a threat to public safety," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gail Montenegro.

The most recent push began Sunday night and will continue through the week. Until then, Montenegro declined to say how many people have been targeted for deportation or where the arrests occurred.

Some detentions took place in Waukegan and Carpentersville, sources within the immigrant community said.

Both suburbs sparked controversy -- drawing protests and standing-room-only crowds -- when they tackled the issue of illegal immigration locally. Waukegan and Carpentersville are the only two Illinois towns that have sought federal money to train, equip and deputize some local police officers in immigration enforcement.

The ongoing suburban operation complements a national effort that began in May 2006 to deport undocumented immigrants with felony convictions. Other law enforcement agencies are enlisted for the intensive weeklong push, officials said.

This comes as additional crackdowns occurred nationwide.

More than 160 people were arrested in a raid at a Koch Foods Inc. chicken plant in Fairfield, Ohio. An additional 180 were tagged for further questioning in what federal officials described as a two-year investigation.

Federal immigration officials executed search warrants at the company's Park Ridge headquarters Tuesday, Montenegro said. No arrests were made there.

Bush administration leaders unveiled plans to step up enforcement efforts earlier this month.

Workplaces specifically were targeted, with employers now required to fire workers unable to resolve problems with their Social Security numbers within 90 days of their notification about the discrepancy. Business owners who fail to comply risk criminal penalties.

Immigrant rights supporters distinguish between two strains of enforcement that target workers and convicted felons. But enforcement without reform only causes confusion, said Catherine Salgado of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

"It's been creating a lot of confusion and fear in the community," Salgado said.

Federal officials deported 5,056 undocumented immigrants during the past nine months from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri, records show.

A reported 7,100 deportations occurred between October 2005 and September 2006, the fiscal year tracked by the federal government. Some 6,600 undocumented immigrants were returned home from October 2004 to September 2005.

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