Feds raid Scranton business
BY KIMM R. MONTONE
STAFF WRITER
10/26/2007
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Federal agents arrested 52 people on alleged immigration violations Thursday morning during a raid of a city factory after a 10-month investigation.


U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered North American Manufacturing, 1075 Barring Ave., at 8:15 a.m., shut down production and asked employees to provide identification, said plant manager Joseph Wechsler.

Immigration officials arrested illegal immigrants from Mexico, Honduras and Uruguay, said Ernestine Fobbs, a spokeswoman with ICE.

A majority of those detained were processed in Philadelphia, where they will be fingerprinted, photographed and questioned, she said.

Some of the women were released for humanitarian reasons, such as child bearing. They will, however, have to appear before an immigration judge at a later date, Ms. Fobbs said.

The factory in the city’s Weston Field section, employs about 120 people, producing field and ammunition pouches and military cots.

Thursday’s raid shocked Mr. Wechsler, who said the company has used an Internet-based program to verify all of its employees’ Social Security numbers.

“You don’t expect to have state police at your door in the morning,â€