Thread: East Houston workers detained in ICE raid

June 25, 2008, 10:16AM
East Houston workers detained in ICE raid


By JAMES PINKERTON
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

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Federal immigration agents have detained at least 170 workers at an east Houston plant as they conduct a major raid to investigate allegations that the company is employing illegal immigrants.

The raid, involving 150 to 200 agents, was launched about 7 a.m. at Action Rags U.S.A, 1225 Port Houston, just north of the Houston Ship Channel.

Officials would not specify the information that led them to plan the raid, which is at least the second major immigration enforcement action in Houston in recent months.

Federal agents swarmed the Shipley Do-Nuts headquarters in north Houston on April 16, detaining 20 workers who they said were illegal immigrants.

The sign at Action Rags includes the phrase ropa usada, Spanish for "used clothing." A number of companies in Houston buy and sell used clothing, much of which is cut up for use as industrial rags.

The agents are questioning workers to determine their immigration status, said Bob Rutt, special agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement criminal office in Houston.

Of the detained workers, 60-70 percent are women, Rutt said.

ICE officials have released 16 employees so far. ``One was a U.S. citizen and another 15 were here in status and are legally authorized to work," Rutt said.

Ten female workers who are pregnant were detained. ``We are processing them here for humanitarian purposes and will release them here under an order to report to an immigration court,'' Rutt said.

He said that four employees were transported from the facility for medical treatrment, including a woman transported by helicopter to a local hospital after she fell 20 feet off a stack of wooden pallets in which she was hiding.

"Right now, we're still trying to secure the interior because we found several individuals trying to locate hiding spaces inside," said Greg Palmore, spokesman for ICE in Houston.

Rutt said no member of the company's management has been arrested, but confirmed that ICE is conducting a criminal investigation into the company's hiring practices.

Scores of ICE vehicles are parked at various spots at the plant, as numerous agents in body armor can be seen talking with workers and walking around the site.

At 9:45 a.m. an ICE helicopter was flying over the plant to check if any employees were hiding on the roof.

Workers at an adjoining plant have gathered in a nearby lot and along railroad tracks to watch the events.

Houston police are providing perimeter security for the federal action.

Calls to Action Rags were not answered this morning.

Dozens of family members gathered on the street outside the plant entrance at Port Houston near Tilgham. Many of them rushed to the facility after employees called them on their cell phones during the raid.

Bernardo Olvera came to ask about his sister, Juana Maria Olvera, who he said was working in the plant and is in this country illegally.

"She doesn't have any papers to work there," Olvera said. "I'd like to talk to her to see if she could give me the keys to her husband's car.

"This is bad, what they do," he said. "But what can you do? The people here are just working. They're not doing anything wrong. These women are hard workers; they're not criminals."

Another relative of a worker said most of the plant's employees are women.

james.pinkerton@chron.com





http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5855264.html

while going to work I passed by there....what a sight!!
it was about time!!

Man! - I would have loved to have seen that !

Ten female workers who are pregnant were detained. ``We are processing them here for humanitarian purposes and will release them here under an order to report to an immigration court,'' Rutt said.

ICE, be smart this time and deport them before they drop their passport babies.....

Prosecute the owners, and put them in jail for ten years, along with taking everything they have, including stripping them of citizenship. Get the attention of other employers of illegals.

Mandate that E-verify is to be used by ALL employers, for ALL employees.

ICE Please send those pregnant IA's to Immigration court ASAP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our United States is a Drop Zone for illegal immigrant babies.

The Constitution needs a re-interpretation of this issue.

word got around pretty quick by means of the spanish radio here in Houston, by the time I got there so called pro-illegal alien group representatives were already there...It wouldn't surprise me if the lawyers weren't too far behind.

Originally Posted by USPatriot

ICE Please send those pregnant IA's to Immigration court ASAP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, a raid in Houston that found more than 20 illegal workers. I would say "it is about time", but actually it is way past time for enforcement in south Texas.
Let's hope they put monitoring devices on the pregnant women and any others released for humanitarian reasons.....................

Can't wait to see news coverage. More SOB stories without mention of stolen or forged documents used to get the jobs...

Originally Posted by feduphispanic

word got around pretty quick by means of the spanish radio here in Houston, by the time I got there so called pro-illegal alien group representatives were already there...It wouldn't surprise me if the lawyers weren't too far behind.

Originally Posted by USPatriot

ICE Please send those pregnant IA's to Immigration court ASAP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am glad the lawyers are there because if the pregnant IA's were using false documents to obtain work then they are felons and should be given a choice to return to their countries or stand trial for document thief and the sentence that it carries which should be no different then if an American was accused of this crime.