Thread: Customs Officials Arrest Unauthorized Workers In East Bay

http://www.ktvu.com/news/5068906/detail.html

Customs Officials Arrest Unauthorized Workers In East Bay

POSTED: 8:33 pm PDT October 6, 2005

SAN FRANCISCO -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they have arrested seven Mexican nationals who were working illegally at a Hayward warehouse and distribution center for goods brought into the U.S. through the Port of Oakland.

Officials at the San Francisco office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that in an operation Wednesday morning, agents apprehended the men as they reported for work at a warehouse operated by Pacific American Service (PACAM).

Officials said the workers were identified after agents audited the hiring records of more than 60 PACAM workers and found that about 25 percent of the employees may not have been authorized to work in the U.S.

ICE officials said Wednesday's operation is part of their worksite enforcement efforts focusing on businesses with ties to security-sensitive sites and critical infrastructure facilities, including airports, military bases and bio-agriculture industries.

Officials say unauthorized workers with access to such sites are vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists, smugglers, traffickers or other criminals.

PACAM's bonded facilities are located close to the San Francisco and Oakland ports, rail yards and airports.

Charles DeMore, special agent in charge for ICE investigations in San Francisco, said in a statement, "Addressing security vulnerabilities that pose a potential threat to our nation's vital infrastructure is a crucial part of ICE's enforcement strategy."

He said, "When someone uses fraud or false documents to gain access to a major cargo hub like the Port of Oakland, we have no way of knowing who they really are or what their motives might be."

DeMore said, "If that person turns out to be a criminal or a terrorist, they are in a position to strike a devastating blow against the flow of commerce and our nation's economy."

The men arrested Wednesday will be voluntarily returned to Mexico or deported after facing administrative charges for violating immigration laws. At least one of the men had previously been deported and may be subject to criminal prosecution.

ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said she doesn't know the specifics of the situation at Pacific American Service, but she said some employers are honestly fooled by employees who present identification cards that seem legitimate, while other employers hire people even though they have suspicions about them being legal employees.

Kice said no criminal or civil actions are being taken against PACAM, although the investigation is ongoing.

To help employers verify the employment eligibility of newly hired workers, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services operates a Web-based system called the Basic Pilot Program.

Interested employers can call the agency's toll-free number at (800) 464-4218 to obtain more information about the program.

A drop in the bucket. Good to see it, but will they make it seem that they have done all they can; will they make it seem that they have made huge efforts?

http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_281011833.html

Oct 7, 2005 11:40 pm US/Pacific

Feds Find Security Holes At Bay Area Locations

Manuel Ramos
Reporting

(CBS 5) Federal agents have found illegal immigrants working in high security areas, like airports and nuclear power plants.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or I.C.E., says it shows vulnerability in the security system.

“We have not found any individual that posed a threat to the security of the United States,� says Mark Wollman of I.C.E. “What we have found is a vulnerability in the systems that can be exploited.�

Agents with I.C.E. arrested seven workers at the Pacific American Service Warehouse in Hayward. Illegal immigrants were working at the warehouse, which serves as a center for goods brought into this country through the Port of Oakland.

The agency says the people had a job that gave them access to a major cargo hub. Agents are worried about smuggling.

“Smuggling has two components,� Wollman says. “You have human trafficking, which is bringing people into the United States. You also have contraband trafficking, which could be dope, but it could be other items as well.�

I.C.E. says illegals were also found working at Oakland Airport, and SFO. Some of them were in security areas. I.C.E. sweeps in other parts of the country show employment problems at nuclear power plants, chemical plants, and defense facilities. All places where it is important to know exactly who is working there.

“They’re in a variety of areas, some sensitive, some not so sensitive,� Wollman says.

We were unable to contact anyone at the East Bay warehouse to find out how the illegal immigrants got jobs there. I.C.E. agents say they are still investigating, but in many cases, forged documents are used.