Thread: MN-Illegal immigrants apprehended in Cloquet

Published April 14 2010
Illegal immigrants apprehended in Cloquet
By: John Myers

Cloquet police stopped a van carrying 12 illegal immigrants Tuesday morning and turned the men over to federal agents.


Cloquet Deputy Chief Terry Hill said the van was stopped for a traffic violation at 10th Street and Avenue B about 6:30 a.m. and that one of the men in the van immediately said he was in the country illegally.


Hill said the van had Georgia license plates and that the men apparently were working for a contractor from Georgia in town performing maintenance work at the Sappi paper mill.


The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency took the men into custody and the Border Patrol is handling the case. A 13th person in the van was in the country legally.


Gregory Palmore, spokesman for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, said the 12 men were from Mexico and that they have been processed in Duluth. They await an appearance before an immigration judge, who will decide if they will be deported or stay in the country.


Palmore said an investigation continues into what the men were doing in Cloquet and who they were working for.


“As to whether there will be any charges, federal or state, that investigation continues,’’ Palmore said.


Amy Olson, manager of corporate communications for Sappi’s U.S. holdings, said the company learned of the incident Tuesday but that Sappi has not been officially notified of the problem.


“Agents of the federal government inspected the employment documentation of employees of a contractor of Sappi pertaining to its Cloquet mill site,’’ Olson said in an e-mail to the News Tribune. “It is Sappi Fine Paper North America’s policy to comply fully with the immigration laws, and Sappi requires the same of its contractors. The government has not contacted Sappi Fine Paper North America about this matter.â€

“It is Sappi Fine Paper North America’s policy to comply fully with the immigration laws, and Sappi requires the same of its contractors."--Amy Olson, Mgr. Corporate Communications (tranlslation: Head Corporate Bubble Head Spin Doktor In Charge)

Yeah right Amy, we believe you, and we also have some bargain priced beach front properties at $3.00 an acre in the northern panhandle of Idaho for sale. Could we interest you in a lot?

“It is Sappi Fine Paper North America’s policy to comply fully with the immigration laws, and Sappi requires the same of its contractors.

This lie is just not going to work anymore! That's like me getting pulled over for speeding and claiming, it's always my policy to comply fully with the posted speed limit officer.

Officer's reply: So then why were you doing 55 in a 40?