Thread: KY-Home Builder Breaks Silence On Immigration Raids

Home Builder Breaks Silence On Immigration Raids

Last Update: 12:43 pm


Related Links
Spectrum Interiors Admits Violating U.S. Immigration Laws
Those Who Hired Illegal Imigrants To Be Sentenced
Man Arrested Moments After Being Sentenced For Using Undocumented Workers
Henry Fischer Homes
Reported by: Tom McKee


Northern Kentucky home builder Henry Fischer is speaking out for the first time about the 2006 immigration raids that pulled his company into the debate over undocumented workers in the United States.

Fischer’s comments come in a new book written by Jon Entine and titled "No Crime But Prejudice – Fischer Homes, the Immigration Fiasco and Extra-judicial Prosecution."

In the book’s forward the company founder said the legal and financial risks were too great to tell the firm’s story as the events were unfolding.

"It has now been three years since the federal government raided Fischer Homes and tried to ruin the company I founded and the lives of many Fischer Homes associates," Fischer wrote. "While there will never be a time when releasing this story is risk-free from government retaliation, I now believe the need to get the Fischer Homes side of the story out to our customers and our friends outweighs the risks."

Chapter one is called "The Sting" and details the events of May 9, 2006. Police swarmed over apartment complexes known to house Hispanic families and SWAT teams swarmed through home construction sites overseen by Fischer homes.

"Anyone with a Spanish accent appeared at risk," Entwine, a visiting fellow with the American Enterprise Institute, writes.

Additionally, four Fischer construction superintendents were "handcuffed at their homes in front of friends and family and dragged off to jail."

The company headquarters in Crestview Hills was locked down as agents "grilled frightened employees and carted off company records."

At the time Dean Boyd, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said the action was not a random roundup of illegal aliens.

"We don’t randomly pick companies," Boyd is quoted as saying. "We follow evidence and go where it leads."

The superintendents were charged with harboring illegal aliens for commercial or private financial gain, but the government later dismissed the charges.

"The only thing missing from these inflammatory allegations were the facts," the book contends. "Although the media was slow to report it, none of the Mexicans arrested that day were employed by Fischer Homes."

As chapter one draws to a close Entine writes, "An endless stream of print and electronic media reports erroneously excoriated the company for hiring illegal workers and flouting U.S. immigration laws."

The book raises questions about why Fischer Homes found itself under the criminal microscope.

"What has been the consequence from the raid and "subsequent high profile prosecution effort orchestrated for the media on Fischer Homes, its executives, associates, their families and the local community?" Entine wonders.

The key issue, according to Entine, is what the book terms the "Politics of Prosecution" – how and why the government targets individuals and corporations, sometimes recklessly, taking an enormous human toll in the process.

The chapter concludes with the words, "It’s a story of David vs. Goliath of the government – and surprisingly, once again, how David prevailed."



http://www.kypost.com/content/wcposhare ... YT9Eg.cspx

So was Fisher doing contracts with 1099 income were the other contractors were hiring to permit illegals to work on his construction sites. INTERESTING poor business owner.

Currently most or all States are permitting illegals to go through Unemployment Offices without being E-Verified by States before sending these illegals into the local workplaces. Now you know why you cannot find a job at your local Unemployment Offices.

And just as Fisher Construction above the future raids will have employers saying well the State Unemployment Office sent these illegals to me to hire and I thought the State had E-Verified.

"The only thing missing from these inflammatory allegations were the facts," the book contends. "Although the media was slow to report it, none of the Mexicans arrested that day were employed by Fischer Homes."

As chapter one draws to a close Entine writes, "An endless stream of print and electronic media reports erroneously excoriated the company for hiring illegal workers and flouting U.S. immigration laws."

Oh, horsecrap! Although I am not familiar with KY laws, a general contractor is totally responsible for what happens on the construction job site. If he hires shoddy subs so that the building falls down, he is ultimately responsible. This guy should have been responsible enough to know his subs and they type of people they hire. Gotta do your due diligence!

"The only thing missing from these inflammatory allegations were the facts," the book contends. "Although the media was slow to report it, none of the Mexicans arrested that day were employed by Fischer Homes."

Sorry, but it sounds to me as though Fisher Homes took advantage of the "subcontractor" loophole. And this creep continues to whine about the injustice to him and to the workers (whose immigration status is conspicuously absent from the article), yet fails to give a backward glance to the American lives that have been destroyed by him and others like him who through Americans out to the trash.

This man is truly the scum of the earth, and I pray his book bites him right on the arse!

EXACTLY - Knowing your contractors is wise, yes Fisher was indirectly aiding and abetting I bet the Chamber of Commerce backed him to write this book

Most of the contractors hire legal American subcontractors; it's the American subcontractors who hire illegal aliens for their crews. Now, however, illegal aliens who learned skills from American subcontractors, have somehow opened their own businesses, hire illegal aliens, don't take out taxes and take work from Americans by greatly underbidding for projects. Licensed builders should be accountable for any subs they hire in my opinion.

Just follow the money, this ILLEGAL EMPLOYER is only concerned about his profit not the laws of the United States or social justice.

The Dream Act will only multiply this problem of aiding and abetting. Why can't Congress understand this issue? And English needs to be the official language of our Country.

Home Builder Breaks Silence On Immigration Raid
Fischer Says His Company Targeted Unfairly

POSTED: 5:17 pm EDT May 7, 2009
UPDATED: 6:25 pm EDT May 7, 2009

COVINGTON, Ky. -- Three years after Fischer Homes was accused of harboring illegal immigrants, the company has been cleared.

The home builder's owner, Henry Fischer, said his company was targeted May 9, 2006, at the height of a national debate over illegal immigration.

[Watch Henry Fischer's News Conference]
http://www.wlwt.com/video/19399765/index.html
"They entered our job sites on that day, (with) all kinds of officials on our job sites and military helicopters flying over the top," Fischer said.

Four employees were arrested, and the company was accused of hiring 76 undocumented workers.

No one associated with the company has been prosecuted, and Fischer said they had no basis to arrest any of them.

"They had no wrongdoing on the company's part when they made the raid on the company," he said.

Many of the immigrants picked up in the raid turned out to be undocumented workers, but only 15 of them were at Fischer Homes work sites, and all of them were employed by subcontractors.

Fischer said he and his employees were offered plea deals, but they each decided to fight the charges that never came.

The home builder said he broke his silence to highlight what he sees as an unjust system.

"We have serious problems in our federal criminal justice system that need to be analyzed, OK?" Fischer said.
http://www.wlwt.com/news/19398976/detail.html

Henry Fischer Says Immigration Prosecution Was Unfair

Last Update: 5/07 11:30 pm

Northern Kentucky homebuilder Henry Fischer lashed out Thursday at the government’s prosecution of his firm following immigration raids on May 9, 2006.

Fischer said the effort was unfair and politically motivated.

"We were singled out," he said. "Why we were singled out I don’t know."

It was the first time Fischer has spoken about the raids and the impact they had on his firm.

"This kind of thing shouldn’t happen to good companies and good people," he said. "I’m not trying to vindicate myself. I’m beyond that."

The comments were made during a news conference at the Mercantile Library in downtown Cincinnati and were timed with the release of a new book entitled, "No Crime But Prejudice – Fischer Homes, the Immigration Fiasco and Extra-judicial Prosecution."

The author is Jon Entine of the American Enterprise Institute.

The raids resulted in the arrest of 76 people, 15 of them at Fischer job sites.

Six Fischer employees were ultimately accused of violating federal immigration law, but the charges were later dropped.

However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob McBride says they can still be refiled, since the statute of limitations runs for five years.

"The company is always concerned about that," said David Futscher, an attorney with Parry Deering Futscher & Sparks, who has been representing Fischer homes. "We know from our own review of the records that there is no case to bring up."

McBride said that while he has not seen or read the book, he is aware of it’s general content.

"There is no factual basis for the allegations," he said from his office in Lexington. "This was a long-term investigation that involved a series of prosecutions against many companies and individuals."

For example, subcontractor Robert Pratt was convicted on immigration charges, as was his son, daughter and sister.

Spectrum Interiors was convicted and fined as a corporation on similar counts along with several top executives.

Fischer said agreed to do the book to protect his company’s reputation. He said most of the harm happened during the first year.
"I think we have a reputation that outlasted the government’s abuse otherwise," he said. "The only reason for doing this is to bring more to the light of day the problems in our federal justice system."

He refused to put an exact dollar figure on how much he’s spent on attorney fees and lost business. However, he added it’s more than $1 million.

In the book’s foreward the company founder said the legal and financial risks were too great to tell the firm’s story as the events were unfolding.

"It has now been three years since the federal government raided Fischer Homes and tried to ruin the company I founded and the lives of many Fischer Homes associates," Fischer wrote. "While there will never be a time when releasing this story is risk-free from government retaliation, I now believe the need to get the Fischer Homes side of the story out to our customers and our friends outweighs the risks."

Chapter One is called "The Sting" – detailing the events of May 9, 2006. Police swarmed over apartment complexes known to house Hispanic families. SWAT teams swarmed through home construction sites overseen by Fischer homes.

"Anyone with a Spanish accent appeared at risk," Entwine writes. Also, four Fischer construction superintendents were "handcuffed at their homes in front of friends and family and dragged off to jail."

The company headquarters in Crestview Hills was locked down as agents "grilled frightened employees and carted off company records."

At the time Dean Boyd, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said the action was not a random roundup of illegal aliens.

"We don’t randomly pick companies," Boyd is quoted as saying. "We follow evidence and go where it leads."

The superintendents were charged with harboring illegal aliens for commercial or private financial gain, but the government later dismissed the charges.

"The only thing missing from these inflammatory allegations were the facts," the book continues. "Although the media was slow to report it, none of the Mexicans arrested that day were employed by Fischer Homes."

As Chapter One draws to a close Entine writes, "An endless stream of print and electronic media reports erroneously excoriated the company for hiring illegal workers and flouting U.S. immigration laws."

Questions are raised about why Fischer Homes found itself under the criminal microscope.

"What has been the consequence from the raid and subsequent high profile prosecution effort orchestrated for the media on Fischer Homes, its executives, associates, their families and the local community?" Entine wonders.
The key issue, according to Entine, is the Politics of Prosecution – how and why the government targets individuals and corporations, sometimes recklessly, taking an enormous human toll in the process.

The chapter concludes with the words, "It’s a story of David vs. Goliath of the government – and surprisingly, once again, how David prevailed."

Entine said his research never showed any evidence of why Fischer Homes was targeted.

"If it was anything other than political motivation – if it was based on the facts – we haven’t seen the facts," he said.

The author admitted he tried, but wasn’t successful at talking to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"Everyone from the government refused to talk to me because they said and continue to maintain that it is an ongoing investigation and they will not comment on an ongoing investigation," he added.

While admitting that he didn’t attend court hearing in the case or speak to deportees or subcontractors in the case, he said he examined every document he could.

http://www.kypost.com/content/wcposhare ... QQE2Q.cspx