http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2078921&page=1

How Did Illegal Immigrants End Up in High-Security Positions?
Arrests at Dulles Came Through Cooperation Between Agencies
June 15, 2006 — - A multimillion-dollar black-market industry is producing fake IDs to help illegal immigrants get jobs at high-security places, sources tell ABC News.

On Wednesday, U.S. immigration officials arrested 55 illegal immigrants who were working at a construction site at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Some of the workers had a security badge that gave them direct access to the airport's tarmac.

"I'm outraged and I'm concerned, and I just keep on wondering what it will take to get the folks in Washington to finally give immigration the emphasis, support and leadership that it needs," said Michael Cutler, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization.


Putting Illegal Immigrant Criminals on ICE

Wednesday's arrest came as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials announced that federal agents had arrested nearly 2,100 illegal immigrants in raids over a three-week period.

"Operation Return to Sender," which was launched May 26, targeted child molesters, violent gang members, and past deportees who had re-entered the United States. More than 140 of those arrested had convictions for sexual offenses against children, and 367 were known gang members.

"Certainly there is an ongoing problem with document fraud, and that's why we've created document fraud task forces throughout the country, teaming up with the Department of Justice," said Julie Myers, the head of ICE.

"But focusing on critical infrastructure sites is one of the highest priorities, and the American public should know we're on the job and we're going to remove these people."

Airports are not the only places that have had problems with hiring undocumented immigrants. Illegal immigrants apparently have had no trouble getting jobs at some of the country's most-sensitive sites, such as a top-secret missile range, nuclear power plants, and seaports.

"The fact of the matter is that if they are using phony documents and we don't know who these people are," said John Clark, deputy assistant secretary of ICE, "here's a chance that they could be terrorists or criminals with sinister intentions."

Several politicians are concerned about the hiring of illegal immigrants and potential security problem it poses.

"Anybody then -- and not just the guy looking for the job down at the 7-Eleven, but a guy looking to get into a very sensitive position -- is able to get his hands on documents that allow him to do so," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.


Some Companies Involved in Phony Papers

Some businesses don't mind looking the other way when they see phony documents, and some even help to produce them for workers, authorities say.

In 2005, a Texas company that provided ready-to-eat meals for U.S. troops in Iraq pleaded guilty to falsifying documents so it could hire illegal immigrants.

"Most companies do want to do the right thing, but sometimes there are companies who have as their business model employing illegal aliens," Myers said. "That's why we're looking into who is responsible for having these workers at Dulles."

The arrests at Dulles came about through information sharing, Myers said.

The inspectors at the airport, the U.S. Customs and Borders agents, "noticed something was amiss," she said, and reported it to Immigration and Customs agents, who launched the investigation.

"We definitely depend very much on our partners, both within the Department of Homeland Security and also our state and local partners at the airports and other places," Myers said.

President Bush's comprehensive immigration reform plan is a good first step in keeping the country safe, Myers said.

"There are many people who come to this country to live the American dream," Myers said. "Others come to commit crimes."

"We want those who want to come to work to be able to do so under a temporary worker program so we can focus or efforts on gang members, on sexual predators, and those who just flaunt the law," Myers said.

ABC News' Pierre Thomas reported this story for "Good Morning America."