Thread: Immigration agents raid home of restaurant owner

Cincinnati Business Courier - June 5, 2006
http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cinci ... aily3.html





Immigration agents raid home of restaurant owner
Cincinnati Business Courier - 2:43 PM EDT Monday
The owner of a Fairfield Chinese restaurant is in custody, as are some of his employees suspected of being in the United States illegally.

Agents from the Cincinnati office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided the home of Jin Sei Jiang, owner of Bee's Buffet in Fairfield on Monday morning, according to published reports. Seven Chinese and two Mexican nationals, several of whom were apparently living in the Fairfield house and working at the restaurant, were arrested as well.

Bee's Buffet, on Nilles Road, was closed Monday.

According to news reports, agents had been investigating Jiang and his restaurant for about eight months. Jiang allegedly had been ordered deported in 1990, but remained in the United States.

Last month, agents raided the headquarters of Fischer Homes in Northern Kentucky, as well as several of its construction sites, arresting four supervisors and 76 laborers for immigration violations. A subcontractor who employed the workers was also arrested.




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Yes it's true. Saw it here this weekend. The Mexicans are doing the jobs in Chinese restaurants the Chinese won't or aren't doing. While I don't really know the legal status of anyone at the restaurant, I found it surprising that illegal alien Chinese could run businesses that employ illegal Mexican workers. That's America.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... /399990082

Last Updated: 3:08 pm | Monday, June 5, 2006
Immigration bust nabs 12
BY JENNIFER EDWARDS | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
FAIRFIELD – Federal agents raided a home here this morning and took 10 people into custody for alleged immigration violations.

As a result, a Chinese restaurant that employed suspected illegal immigrants is expected to remain closed while authorities search it and investigate the employees and their employer.

The owner of that restaurant, who was ordered to be deported more than 15 years ago, and several of his workers were living in a house in the 5600 block of David Place.

Federal immigration agents swooped in there around 8:20 this morning and took into custody eight people who were originally from China and two Mexican nationals, said Richard Wilkens, resident agent in charge of the Cincinnati office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

City police and federal agents repeatedly knocked and yelled “Federal agents! Search warrant!” But when occupants peered out a window and did not open the front door, authorities burst through it with a battering ram.

Agents weren’t releasing names of those who were taken into custody, but federal records show agents had been investigating the owner of Bee’s Buffet on Nilles Road since last October.

They think the owner, Jing Fei Jiang, is an “absconder,” who was ordered deported in 1990, when he failed to show up for an immigration hearing.

Just before 9 a.m., agents had placed nine people in a van; they were keeping Jiang in the house and questioning him. The other people will be interviewed, photographed and fingerprinted at the downtown immigration office, Wilkens said.

Agents arrested two more immigrants when they were conducting a search of the restaurant.

The detainees will remain in federal custody until officials determine what further action to take, he said.

Stunned neighbors came out of their homes and gathered on sidewalks.

They said that Jiang moved into the house about a year ago, and meticulously maintained his property. They had no idea that so many people were living there.

Among the shocked neighbors: Fairfield Councilman Steve Miller.

“I had no clue whatsoever,” he said. “None.”

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com

Why did it take 8 months of investigation before ICE could bust these 10 or 11 people? Why did it take 2 years of investigation before making the raid on IMF?

Unless ICE agents are 14 year olds with junior detective kits, something STINKS!

I found it surprising that illegal alien Chinese could run businesses that employ illegal Mexican workers

This just begs the question - When an illegal hires illegals, is it illegal?

Never mind. I forgot illegals can do anything they want - laws only apply to us.

Why aren't TYSON'S OWNERS behind bars?

What's this? Pick on the little guy and shut the pain in the ass Americans up?

Originally Posted by
They said that Jiang moved into the house about a year ago, and meticulously maintained his property. They had no idea that so many people were living there.

Among the shocked neighbors: Fairfield Councilman Steve Miller.

“I had no clue whatsoever,” he said. “None.”

E-mail [email="jedwards@enquirer.com"

jedwards@enquirer.com[/email]

Seriously, how do you not know

Originally Posted by greyparrot

Why did it take 8 months of investigation before ICE could bust these 10 or 11 people? Why did it take 2 years of investigation before making the raid on IMF?

Unless ICE agents are 14 year olds with junior detective kits, something STINKS!

This is what I've been pointing out on a regular basis. For every (rare) raid that occurs, we find out it was a year or more in the making. Michael Chertoff always comes off as proud of his efforts, but in my opinion it does sound like junior detective work or we'd have these things happening at a much more rapid pace.

http://www.journal-news.com/news/conten ... ICE_s.html

Chinese restaurant workers targeted in immigration raid
Staff Report



FAIRFIELD — The latest round-up of suspected illegal immigrants in Butler County doesn’t involve Hispanics.

Ten employees of a Fairfield-based Chinese restaurant are in federal custody after agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided a Fairfield home Monday morning.

The suspects all work for Bee’s Buffet, a Nilles Road Chinese restaurant.

Lt. Ken Colburn, Fairfield Police spokesman, confirmed that local authorities were at the scene, but said federal authorities were handling the case.

ICE agents in Cincinnati declined to comment on Monday’s raid. Agents at ICE Midwest headquarters in Detroit, Mich. did not return phone calls.

Fairfield Councilman Steve Miller, who resides near the David Street home where the raid took place, said he was unaware of the legal status of the employees at the restaurant and at the home.

This was the first raid of a Fairfield establishment by federal agents, who have targeted illegal immigrants throughout Butler County and the Tri-State for about two months.

County authorities have arrested suspected illegal immigrants and their employers at several job sites in the area.

Last month, the Butler County Sheriff’s confiscated documents, a computer and several computer data storage devices from Fairfield Township-based Carmona Construction.

That raid came on the heels of a raid by deputies at a Wayne Township construction site where about 20 suspected illegal immigrants were taken into custody.

They were later released after it was determined the Sheriff’s office did not have the authority to enforce immigration laws.

Until Monday, the raids have involved suspected illegal immigrants of Hispanic descent.

Staff Writer Michael D. Pitman and Local 12 contributed to this report.

http://www.journal-news.com/news/conten ... OLO_s.html

Suspected illegals yet to be charged after Fairfield raid
By Michael D. Pitman



Staff Writer

FAIRFIELD — The suspected illegal Chinese immigrants arrested following a raid of a Fairfield business owner’s home early last week have yet to be indicted or charged with a federal crime.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Greg Palmore said his department is still detaining nine of the 12 people taken into custody after agents searched and arrested people living at Jing Fei Jiang’s home, 5675 David Place. Jiang, 36, owns Bee’s Restaurant, which has been closed since the raid on June 5.

Palmore said they are waiting for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring forward indictments on the workers. Once that occurs, he said more information on the investigation can be released. Palmore said he knows of no order requiring the closing down of Bee’s Restaurant, 725 Nilles Road.

ICE agents said they believed Bee’s Buffet was involved in a network used by at least one other area Chinese restaurant to bring illegal workers to Ohio from New York, according to federal affidavits.

U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Fred Alverson said the case remains under investigation. But Alverson said last week it was determined Jiang and four employees were in the country illegally and his office are still determining the status of the remaining people in custody.

Following the arrests, federal agents seized more than $173,990 in U.S. currency, various tax, employment and financial documents, immigration documents, non-salary benefit documents, transportation and housing expenses documents, and a laptop and desktop computer from Jiang’s home.

Agents also seized $105,050 from a safe deposit box at U.S. Bank on Patterson Boulevard.

Palmore said the other three taken into custody on Monday were released.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.