Thread: FL-Illegal aliens arrested ,Duval courthouse construction si

Illegal aliens arrested on and near Duval courthouse construction site
By Matt Galnor
Story updated at 6:45 PM on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009

Fifteen undocumented workers were arrested at or near the construction site for the new Duval County Courthouse in two incidents this month — the second after subcontractors were warned they needed to check all of their workers.


U.S. Border Patrol officials arrested eight employees near the job site on Sept. 11, including one who tried to hide under a parked car, an agent said.


Days later, the city called a meeting with Turner Construction, the company building the courthouse, to emphasize that the contract could be rescinded for using undocumented workers.


Turner sent a letter to subcontractors Sept. 15 and, a week later, seven workers were hauled off the job site.


All 15 employees work for United Forming, the company doing concrete work on the site, said David Reaves, Turner’s vice president and operations manager.


Calls to the Florida offices for United Forming were not returned Friday evening.


Reaves said United Forming is still working on the site because Turner has not confirmed the workers who were arrested were illegal immigrants.


Deportation proceedings have begun for all of the people arrested, said Danny Conway, patrol agent in charge of the Border Patrol’s Jacksonville office.


Turner began work on the $350 million project in May and about 175 workers are on-site now.
The city’s contract with Turner prohibits employing undocumented workers, said Misty Skipper, a spokeswoman for Mayor John Peyton. No specific penalties are outlined.


Turner’s agreements with subcontractors contain the same language, Reaves said.


About a dozen undocumented workers were arrested in 2002 during construction of the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville and Veterans Memorial Arena. The ballpark, arena and courthouse were all funded by the $2.2 billion Better Jacksonville Plan voters approved in 2000.
The courthouse is scheduled to be completed in summer 2012.


matt.galnor@jacksonville.com


http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/crim ... truction_#

This does not surprise. Illegals are on construction sites all over Floirda.