ICE Busts Swift Processing Plants
I was overjoyed with this article!!!! I hope this starts a trend!!! :D
Tuesday December12,2006
Associated Press
GREELEY, Colo. — Federal agents raided six Swift & Co. processing plants in six states including Colorado on Tuesday, arresting an unknown number of suspected illegal immigrants in an identity theft investigation.
ICE agents executed search warrants at Swift's processing facilities in Greeley, Colo.; Grand Island, Neb.; Cactus, Texas; Hyrum, Utah; Marshalltown, Iowa; and Worthington, Minn.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials did not have an arrest total but said workers were being arrested on administrative immigration violations and in some cases, existing criminal arrest warrants.
They said criminal charges of aggravated identity theft and other violations were possible.
An investigation that began in February indicated that large numbers of illegal immigrants may have used the Social Security numbers of U.S. citizens or residents to get jobs at Swift.
The company did not immediately return a phone message Tuesday morning seeking comment.
Immigration officials and the Federal Trade Commission have identified hundreds of potential victims, ICE said.
See Next Story in U.S.
Immigration raids target ID thieves
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16169899/
Immigration raids target ID thieves
Feds raid Swift meat-packing plants at six locations
BREAKING NEWS
NBC News and news services
Updated: 10:48 a.m. CT Dec 12, 2006
GREELEY, Colo. - Federal agents on Tuesday raided six meatpacking plants across the country, targeting illegal immigrants who obtained jobs by stealing the identities of U.S. citizens.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had surrounded the Swift plant in Greeley as well as five other Swift plants. It was not immediately known how many people were rounded up in the raids.
Authorities say the investigation began in February and that they have identified hundreds of potential victims.
Similar raids were staged at Swift plants in Marshalltown, Iowa; Louisville, Ky.; Worthington, Minn.; Grand Island, Neb.; Cactus, Texas; and Hyrum, Utah.
Company complains
In a press release, Swift said the raids violate agreements it worked out with the federal government and could violate its workers' civil rights.
"Swift has never condoned the employment of unauthorized workers, nor have we ever knowingly hired such individuals. Since the inception of the (federal government's) Basic Pilot program in 1997, every single one of Swift's new domestic hires, including those being interviewed today by ICE officials, has duly completed I-9 forms and has received work authorization through the government's Basic Pilot program. Swift has played by the rules and relied in good faith on a program explicitly held out by the President of the United States as an effective tool to help employers comply with applicable immigration laws," the company said.
Swift, a global company with annual sales of more than $10 billion, added that five of the six facilities raided are unionized -- all except the one in Utah -- and that no charges have been filed against the company "or any current employees."
The six plants represent all of Swift's domestic beef processing capacity and 77 percent of its pork processing, the company said.
This report will be updated when information becomes available.
© 2006 MSNBC InteractiveThe Associated Press contributed to this report.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16169899/
Contact Swift & elected representatives
Contact Swift and ask them to fully cooperate with the federal govt's investigation. I recomment the following contact -
Sean McHugh
Vice President/Investor Relations, Public Relations and Communications
Swift & Company
1770 Promontory Circle
Greeley, CO 80634
(970) 506-7490
Sean.McHugh@Swiftbrands.com
Remember, Swift has been trying to play by the rules. Ask them to fully cooperate with the govt's investigation, discharge all illegal aliens & continuously improve their hiring practices. We must ask the govt. to improve the SSN verification process.
They presently verify SSNs. Unfortunately, the govt. program doesn't inform Swift that a number may be stolen or used twice. The govt. program merely verifys the number is valid. This program MUST be IMPROVED & EXPANDED.
I'll also be contacting my elected representatives to inform them of this concrete evidence of illegal aliens stealing American identities and American jobs.
I hope the govt's program is improved to verify SSNs and report potential new employees may NOT be assigned a SSN number if someone else is using it.
Let's make use of this enforcement action.