Immigration officials raid Utah County metal plant

Last Update: 11:40 am


Immigrations officers raided a Lindon, Utah, manufacturing company Thursday after a long-term investigation found undocumented workers may be on the payroll.

At around 8 a.m. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials as well as Utah County Sherriff deputies raided a 100,000 square foot manufacturing plant of Universal Industrial Sales in Lindon.

About 50 people were taken into ICE custody in the raid. There are no federal arrest warrants or criminal charges associated with the workers at the present time, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Two indictments unsealed on Thursday charge the company with harboring illegal aliens and encouraging or inducing workers to stay in the United States illegally.

The indictments relate to violations occurring between January 2003 and December 2006.

“Today’s action should send a clear message to employers in Utah. We expect employers to comply with immigration laws in hiring employees. Failure to comply with these laws hampers our ability to address illegal immigration issues,â€