Thread: ICE agents take illegal immigrants from construction site

http://nwanews.com/nwat/News/42960/

ICE agents take illegal immigrants into custody from Springdale work site
BY TRISH HOLLENBECK Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Thursday, July 20, 2006


U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took several illegal immigrants into custody Tuesday at a construction site in Springdale, an ICE spokesman said Wednesday.

Agents took into custody 27 people — 25 from Mexico and two from Guatemala, said Temple Black, spokesman for the agency in New Orleans.

Black would not say where the construction site was located nor what company the immigrants worked for.

Most of the illegal immigrants are being detained in the Washington County Jail in Fayetteville, said Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder.

Those taken into custody will be detained while their backgrounds are checked, Black said. Any who have felony convictions or who are alleged repeat immigration offenders will be referred to the U. S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution and / or deportation, he said, while the remainder will be given a notice to report to federal immigration court.

While Black said he did not have details about what prompted the action, he added that ICE — an investigative arm of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security — works closely with local police and sheriff’s officers on these matters.

Twenty-five of the people who were taken into custody — 24 men and one woman — are being temporarily detained in the Washington County Jail, Helder said.

The jail has a contract with the federal government to hold detainees as long as there is space, he said, adding that the county jail census was 407 as of midnight Tuesday. The jail has a capacity of 575.

Those taken into custody will be detained while their backgrounds are checked, Black said. Any who have felony convictions or who are alleged repeat immigration offenders will be referred to the U. S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution and / or deportation, he said, while the remainder will be given a notice to report to federal immigration court.

I see ICE is still working under the "catch & release" policy. I could of sworn Bush said, during his last address to the nation, there would be no more catch & release. Did anyone else hear it, or am I losing my mind? Doesn't the president value his word at all?

remainder will be given a notice to report to federal immigration court.

That is catch & release!

Black would not say where the construction site was located nor what company the immigrants worked for.

Are they protecting the criminal employer? Maybe ICE doesn't want us to hold them accountable when they don't prosecute the employer.

poor souls maybe they can collect unemploynent and then sue the employer or ICE

Looks like they got one more. Let's see if anyone gets deported or goes to jail.

http://www.thehometownchannel.com/news/ ... etail.html

Businessman Arrested On Suspicion Of Harboring Illegal Immigrants

POSTED: 11:41 am CDT July 21, 2006
UPDATED: 11:56 am CDT July 21, 2006


SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- The manager of a Springdale construction company has been arrested on suspicion of harboring undocumented workers, police said.

Alejandro Arevalo, the manager of Arevalo Framing Associates, faces charges in connection with the arrests of 27 employees who were detained on suspected immigration violations.

Officials said 25 of those workers were from Mexico. The other two hail from Guatemala.

They are currently being processed for voluntary deportation.

There is no word yet on the exact charges Arevalo faces.

Those were the presidents exact words, however we have yet to see it enforced.

http://nwanews.com/nwat/News/42995/

Manager of Springdale business facing immigration charges
BY TRISH HOLLENBECK Northwest Arkansas Times

Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006


The manager and crew leader of a Springdale framing business face federal charges, while several other employees arrested Tuesday by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been processed for voluntary removal from the United States.

The cases were part of an ICE action Tuesday in which several other employees of Arevalo Framing Associates in Springdale were arrested. An arrest warrant on three employees had been issued, according to Bill Cromwell of the U. S. Attorney’s Office in Fort Smith. Those affidavits are sealed pending initial court appearances, he said.

U. S. Magistrate complaints citing alleged immigration violations were filed July 13 against company manager Alejandro Mendez-Arevalo, crew leader Rodrigo Mendez-Arevalo and Hugo Parra-Mata. The manager and crew leader, both from Guatemala, are being detained for federal prosecution, Cromwell said. Parra-Mata was not arrested and is considered a fugitive.

The 25 people not facing federal charges will be handled administratively by ICE. They are Mexican nationals who were processed for voluntary removal, according to Temple Black, ICE spokesman.

A federal search warrant was executed at the home of Alejandro Mendez-Arevalo, manager of the framing business, and searches were conducted at numerous rental properties where illegal aliens were housed, according to ICE. As a result of these searches, $ 1, 943 in U. S. currency was seized, along with an assault-type shotgun and four vehicles.

Alejandro Mendez-Arevalo is charged with harboring illegal aliens and re-entry after deportation. The company’s crew leader, Rodrigo Mendez-Arevalo, is charged with re-entry after deportation. Their initial appearances are scheduled Monday in front of U. S. Magistrate Beverly Jones in Fort Smith. Additional federal charges are anticipated, according to ICE, which did not elaborate.

Parra-Mata faces a charge of re-entry after deportation, having previously been convicted of a felony (a drug offense ) in Texas, Cromwell said.

ICE, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Springdale, Lowell and Rogers police departments conducted the joint investigation.

On Nov. 30, Van Buren police officers conducted a traffic stop of two vehicles traveling together on Interstate 540 near Van Buren. The police officers found about 1 pound of cocaine in one of the vehicles, according to information from ICE.

ICE and Drug Enforcement Agency agents from Fort Smith responded and established that the people were traveling to work for Arevalo Framing Associates, according to ICE.

Agents with ICE in Fort Smith forwarded an investigation request to Fayetteville, stating that Arevalo Framing Associates was suspected of using undocumented workers. Investigation has revealed that in 2005, Alejandro Mendez-Arevalo’s construction business, using an illegal alien workforce, earned about $ 1. 8 million.

All of the illegal aliens will be processed and their backgrounds reviewed to see if they have previous criminal records. If so, that information will be presented to the U. S. Attorney for consideration of more criminal charges.

“ This was an important law enforcement action based upon a strategic plan, ” said Michael A. Holt, special agent in charge of ICE in New Orleans.

“ When individuals use fraudulent documents to get jobs, they hide their true identity and history. We need to know who the individuals are who are working at businesses in our communities. ”

Originally Posted by lsmith1338

Those were the presidents exact words, however we have yet to see it enforced.

He also said his administration had deported six million.

Does anybody believe that?

Originally Posted by MW

Those taken into custody will be detained while their backgrounds are checked, Black said. Any who have felony convictions or who are alleged repeat immigration offenders will be referred to the U. S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution and / or deportation, he said, while the remainder will be given a notice to report to federal immigration court.

I see ICE is still working under the "catch & release" policy. I could of sworn Bush said, during his last address to the nation, there would be no more catch & release. Did anyone else hear it, or am I losing my mind? Doesn't the president value his word at all?

[quote:2ulvnrca]remainder will be given a notice to report to federal immigration court.

That is catch & release![/quote:2ulvnrca]

Just rec'd a 2 pg letter today from Darren Hipp, Acting Director of Presidential Correspondence. I don't see any reason to post the entire letter, same old garbage. But within a paragraph: "The President is also working to end the practice of 'catch and release' along the southern border."
So it is not in effect yet. What's he waiting for? He could give the order today right?