Immigration agents arrest 18 at West Michigan business

Updated 1:31 PM; Posted 1:31 PM
By John Agar
jagar@mlive.com

OTTAWA COUNTY, MI - Immigration officials arrested 18 foreign nationals, allegedly unlawfully present in the U.S., working at a Coopersville business.
They were working at Demeester Wood Products in Coopersville.

The arrests are part of an investigation by several agencies, said Khaalid Walls, spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

The arrests were made Tuesday, Nov. 7,

Because the investigation is ongoing, Walls said he could not disclose how they obtained work. All of those arrested worked at the shop, he said.

Special agents for Homeland Security Investigations served a federal search warrant at Demeester Wood Products, 15519 32nd Ave.

Authorities arrested 13 Guatemalan nationals and five Mexican nationals.

The men, ages 20 to 43, face administrative immigration violations. They were arrested at the business without incident, Walls said.

Six of them face potential federal felony charges for re-entering the U.S. after being deported.

All are in ICE custody.

Homeland Security Investigations is leading the investigation, which includes ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations and U.S. Border Patrol.

A company official declined comment while "trying to digest everything right now."

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