Thread: Buffet closes after four detained

http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2007/0 ... news02.txt

Buffet closes after four detained
Posted: Thursday, Apr 19, 2007 - 11:55:13 pm PDT
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff writer

Owners, workers are alleged illegal aliens
POST FALLS -- Turns out the Buffet Castle may have had a little too much international flavor.

Four of the Chinese restaurant's six employees, including its two brother owners, were detained on Wednesday as alleged illegal aliens, shutting down the business.

The buffet, in the Plaza at Post Falls across Cecil Road from Wal-Mart, has been open for about 18 months.

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Federal immigration agents and Post Falls Police detained owners You-Yao Li, 36, You-He Li, 34, and employees Feng Bin Liu, 46, Jakarta Selatan Pasanggrahan, 37, without incident after they arrived at the restaurant on Wednesday morning.

They were transported to the Border Patrol station in Spokane, where they were awaiting deportation. The bust left just a dishwasher and waitress at the restaurant.

The brothers were born in China, but are Canadian citizens living here illegally, Post Falls Lt. Greg McLean said. Liu is from China and Pasanggrahan is from Indonesia.

Lt. Scot Haug said there are no other investigations of illegal aliens working at other ethnic restaurants or businesses in Post Falls.

"We were not targeting the business; we were targeting (the illegal status) of the employees," Haug said.

McLean said the Buffet Castle investigation stemmed from an argument and pushing match about three months ago between You-Yao Li and a former employee, another alleged illegal alien who was transported back to California. No charges were filed after the incident.

"This brought attention to what was going on at the restaurant," McLean said. "Some of these illegal aliens work in fear for minimal pay, almost like slavery. But we found that was not the case here. They were just illegal."

McLean said there have been a few other similar incidents in Post Falls in recent years involving illegal aliens working at local businesses.

"Some of them come here legally, but then become in violation of their visa," he said. "In many cases they can visit here, but can't work. They get jobs here because they need money and just hope they don't get caught. They tend to spread out so they can stay here."

McLean said the buffet was leasing its restaurant equipment and renting space at the plaza.

With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow - I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud.
Confucius, The Confucian Analects

Thanks had_enuf, Glad to know they are doing their job in my area, Post Falls is a part of Coeur d'Alene ID, first arrest I have heard of here.

Of course I stopped the paper for the winter because they have a hard time getting it on the porch and then it gets stuck in the snow blower!

My daughter just said the other day she went to the mall and seen 3 Hispanics there shopping and they did not speak English, going to be real hard for them to commuincate here we don't even have any signs in spanish (yet) but then maybe they were just passing threw, the mall is on the main highway that goes up to Canada and down to East-West I 90, if they are illegal lets hope they just keep on going.