Thread: Phoenix Car Wash Raid Rounds Up 223 In Immigration Fraud Case

Phoenix Car Wash Raid Rounds Up 223 In Immigration Fraud Case

Published August 19, 2013Fox News Latino

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  2010 Getty Images

Federal immigration agents raided several branches of a car wash business in Phoenix, rounding up 223 workers as part of a two-year investigation into immigration fraud.

Federal agents on Saturday swarmed 16 locations of Danny’s Family Car Washing and the company’s staffing service provider, HR Betty.

The investigating agency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the case targets the owners and leaders of the two businesses and that multiple people face charges of criminal immigration fraud, identity theft and financial violations. Fourteen people were arrested on criminal charges, four were U.S. citizens and 10 were Mexican nationals.

The majority of those who were detained, 179 people, were questioned and then released under prosecutorial discretion -- meaning they were not arrested and jailed but still face deportation in immigration court.

Eric Falbe, general counsel for Danny's Family Car Wash, says Sunday that the company is cooperating with investigators and declined further comment.

The agency said it was not targeting undocumented workers with no criminal background.

“As everyone here knows, we target employers, employers that aren't playing by the rules. We don't target the employees, we're targeting the companies that are not playing by the rules," said Barbara Gonzalez with ICE Homeland Security Investigations. "This was not an enforcement of targeting illegal immigration or illegal immigrants. It was a criminal investigation."

Immigration activists condemned the raids – claiming hundreds of innocent people were rounded up like criminals.

“The agency … rounded up hundreds of workers, placing some in handcuffs,” activists with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network and Puente Arizona said in a statement Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“Yesterday's operation spread chaos, confusion and fear throughout the Phoenix area as family members went temporarily missing and word spread of ski-masked agents detaining car wash customers alongside workers across the city,” according to the statement.

But an ICE spokesman insisted the raids only targeted specific people who committed serious criminal acts, noting the fact that most of the workers were not jailed.

“ICE is focused on sensible, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of criminal aliens and egregious immigration law violators,” ICE spokeswoman Amber Cargile said in the statement. “ICE exercises discretion on a case-by-case basis, as necessary to focus resources on the agency’s stated priorities.”

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/new...#ixzz2cRQ17GXp

Here in NYC the IA's are suing the car wash owners. Also many of the fresh produce stores too. No fear of ice or deportation here.

Phoenix car wash mogul enters plea in hiring case

Posted: Jul 24, 2014 10:18 AM PDT
Updated: Jul 24, 2014 10:24 AM PDT

• CRIME & JUSTICE
  

PHOENIX (AP) - The owner of a metro Phoenix car-wash chain accused of immigration fraud in its hiring practices has pleaded guilty to committing identity fraud.

U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Cosme Lopez says Danny Hendon pleaded guilty Thursday morning to the felony charge.

Hendon had previously avoided prosecution while several lower-level managers have since entered guilty pleas. Some said at least one higher-up within Danny's Family Car Wash instructed them to rehire workers who had to be fired after a federal audit.

Lopez says Hendon acknowledges in the agreement that he "knowingly turned a blind eye" to the hiring of more than 200 unauthorized immigrants.

Hendon was released on his own recognizance.

The company announced Thursday that Hendon's daughter, Heather, will now serve as president.

Hendon is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 20.

• Guilty pleas pile up in case against car-wash firm
• Plea deal points finger at Danny's Car Wash owner
• Former Danny's car wash worker confirms allegations
• 14 suspects face charges, 30 face deportation after car wash raids

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/26...in-hiring-case

http://www.alipac.us/f12/dannys-car-...aliens-314986/