Illegals build F-22 hangers on Air Force base

Investigation: Illegal Workers On Elmendorf AFB

Andrea Gusty, CBS 11 News
Created: 12/16/2009 12:11:02 PM PST

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTVA-CBS 11 News) A contractor hired for a major construction project on Elmendorf Air Force Base broke both state and federal law.

At issue: the illegal immigrants that were granted access to the base to help construct the Air Force's new F-22 hangers.

This summer the Air Force started a multi-million dollar effort to build new F-22 hangers on Elmendorf Air Force Base. The contractor hired for the steel work was Steel System Erectors out of California.

An investigation has reviled the company employed undocumented workers and allowed them access to a national security site.

A "critical infrastructure site essential to national security." That is how the federal government describes Elmendorf Air Force Base.

At each entrance, security checks the ids and has the right to search the vehicles of all who enter the base. So then, how were illegal immigrants with forged and expired documents granted access?

"I do not have a clue how a contractor was able to take these individuals onto a military base, constructing a building for one of our most sophisticated fighter planes." Says Ironworkers Local 751 President/Organizer John Lewis.

Lewis noticed this summer that Steel System Erectors out of southern California had not hired any local workers. In fact, he found the company flew 30 employees from California to Alaska for the job.

"For you to be able to bid a job and win it with the cost of air fare and
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housing for that many men raises a huge red flag that something- there's another area where you are cheating," says Lewis, "Either your cutting costs on workers comp, or you are misclassifying your workers."

Lewis would find Steel System Erectors was doing both. Not only did the company not follow Alaska's workers comp law for their thirty employees, but four were found to be undocumented workers.

"It's extremely disturbing that a contractor is able to, day after day for months on end, take undocumented workers and get them through security," says Lewis.

While they declined to talk on camera, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did confirm four of Steel System Erectors' employees on the Elmendorf job did not have proper employment documents, and one of those even had a criminal history in California.

Since the federal investigation at the end of October, all four men have been arrested. One of the workers has been deported, two voluntarily returned to their country, and one will be pleading his case in front of an immigration judge.

Elmendorf officials say while the illegal workers did not have access to the sensitive areas of the base. Still, they are now looking more closely at their contractors.

In a statement sent to the Eye Team, 3rd Wing Public Affairs Deputy Chief Stephen Lee says, "We take this incident very seriously and have begun a complete review of all contractors working on the base."

Lewis says the damage has already been done in terms of the loss of jobs and wages for local workers. "When a contractor is allowed through fraudulent business practices, to come into Alaska and take jobs from Alaskans, its very detrimental to us as a whole, whether you are union or non union," he says.

The newly strengthened E-verify rules were supposed to prevent this exact thing from happening.

E-verify is a government program that compares information employers provide about their workers to federal government databases to verify worker's employment eligibility. It's designed to ensure only legal American workers are employed on government projects.

Only it was not followed for the Elmendorf project.

"The contractor is responsible for vetting any prospective employee to ensure they meet citizenship requirements," Lee said in his statement, "In this instance, undocumented workers used fake identification to gain employment with the contractor."

As for any legal action, Elmendorf officials say they are working to review their contract with Steel System Erectors to see what action if any should be taken.

Steel System Erectors did not return repeated calls for comment.

To contact Andrea Gusty, call 907-273-3146.
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