Thread: MD: Immigration raids net contract workers

Immigration raids net contract workers
More than 50 arrested as federal officials round up suspected illegal aliens


By Alex Dominguez
The Associated Press

March 29, 2007, 4:01 PM EDT

Immigration agents made more than 50 arrests today in raids of a temporary employment agency at eight locations where the employment agency allegedly provided illegal alien workers, including the port of Baltimore and sportswear maker Under Armour Inc.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also seized a bank account containing more than $600,000 from the employment agency, Jones Industrial Network, which provides workers in the Baltimore area.

In addition to a search of the agency's offices, civil warrants were executed at five businesses, and consent searches were conducted at three businesses where JIN allegedly provided illegal aliens as workers, ICE said.

An exact number of JIN officials and temporary workers arrested was not immediately released.

The investigation began last year after immigration officials learned that temporary employment agencies had provided illegal aliens as workers to the port of Baltimore and other unwitting employers in the area, ICE said.

Protecting critical infrastructure such as ports is a priority for law enforcement and having "illegal aliens working and having access to our ports is a major security vulnerability," said ICE field office director Calvin McCormick, noting the investigation began at the port of Baltimore and three of the companies operated at the port.

JIN is the only company that has been targeted criminally and all others have been cooperative, ICE officials said.

Jones company officials were not arrested in the raid or charged criminally, although ICE officials did not rule out that possibility.

The employment agency's offices downtown near the Inner Harbor were closed today with a sign in English and Spanish saying the company would not be open.

Under Armour general counsel Kevin Haley said the Baltimore-based company was not aware the employees were illegal aliens and has cooperated fully with the investigation, of which it is not a target. Haley said it is considering legal action against the employment agency.

"At Under Armour, we are patriots first and last and we're fully committed to compliance with all laws and regulations," Haley said. "We're furious that apparently one of the temp agencies we use was not so committed or gave the appearance of being not so committed."

"We are cooperating fully with law enforcement and we've been told by law enforcement that they appreciate our cooperation and that we are not targets of this investigation," Haley said.

Haley said the workers were employed at the company's distribution center.

McCormick said 20 of those detained may qualify for humanitarian release. James Dinkins, special agent in charge, said those detained were being transferred to three institutions -- the Dorchester County and Worcester County detention centers and the York County prison in York County, Pa.

Immigration officials said state and federal officials would interview the detainees to determine if there are any medical, sole-caregiver or other issues that would qualify them for humanitarian release. There is a 24-hour toll-free hotline, (866) 341-3858, for family members of those detained.

Earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick urged federal authorities not to move out of that state any more factory workers detained in an immigration raid until their children were located and arrangements were made for their care. More than 300 people were detained for possible deportation in a raid at a leather factory that makes equipment for the U.S. military.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/ ... ?track=rss

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