Thread: Pilgrim's Pride Co. to pay $4.5 million over illegal workers

Pilgrim's to pay $4.5 million over illegal workers

LOS ANGELES

Mon, Nov 23 2009LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. chicken producer Pilgrim's Pride Corp said on Wednesday it will pay $4.5 million over three years to settle U.S. government allegations that it employed illegal workers at some of its plants.

Pilgrim's Pride entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Texas after raids at five plants in 2007 and 2008 resulted in the arrests of 338 unauthorized workers.

Under the settlement, the company did not admit wrongdoing and no civil or criminal charges were filed against it.

The two-year Justice Department and Immigration probe turned up instances of identity theft by workers seeking jobs at the plants, and of the employment of people not authorized to work in the United States, the company said.

As part of the settlement, Pilgrim's Pride said it would enhance screening procedures to identify undocumented workers more accurately.

(Reporting by Gina Keating, editing by Matthew Lewis)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BT4AV20091230

They made ALOT more money using Illegal alien labor than they are paying out. The fine should equal or excede how much they made using Illegals over American workers...

I.C.E. News Release

December 30, 2009

Justice Department and ICE reach $4.5 million agreement with Pilgrim's Pride

BEAUMONT, Texas - The federal government and Pilgrim's Pride Corporation have reached a non-prosecution agreement to resolve an investigation involving the hiring and employment of unauthorized aliens at some of the company's Texas plants. The agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney John M. Bales, Eastern District of Texas; John Chakwin, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Investigations in Dallas; and Donald Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Pilgrim's Pride Corporation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Pilgrim's Pride agrees to pay $4.5 million and adopt more stringent immigration compliance practices to ensure that its work force is composed of employees legally entitled to work in the United States. In return, the U. S. Attorney's Office agrees to conclude its immigration-related investigation of Pilgrim's Pride and any current or former employees.

In a factual statement accompanying the agreement, the parties acknowledge that at the beginning of the investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had reason to believe that a substantial number of unauthorized aliens were employed at several Pilgrim's Pride plants. As part of that investigation, twenty-five unauthorized aliens were arrested in the Eastern District of Texas in December 2007 and charged with misuse of a Social Security Account number. In early 2008, a number of worksite enforcement actions were conducted by ICE at five Pilgrim's Pride plants in Texas, Florida, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Tennessee, resulting in the apprehension of approximately 338 unauthorized aliens. Thirty-eight illegal aliens were convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for misuse of a Social Security Account number.

Throughout the investigation, Pilgrim's Pride cooperated with the U. S. Attorney's Office and law enforcement agencies. In addition, Pilgrim's Pride implemented various measures designed to ensure a legal work force. As a result of this agreement, Pilgrim's Pride will continue to strengthen its workplace compliance programs and adopt measures recommended by ICE to identify and avoid the employment of unauthorized aliens. In reaching this agreement, Pilgrim's Pride did not admit to any criminal or civil misconduct.

"This case demonstrates that the government and business, working together, can go a long way to resolving the issue of employment of illegal aliens," said U.S. Attorney Bales. "Pilgrim's Pride has cooperated with the United States during this investigation and acknowledged the company's desire to implement rigorous standards to comply with immigration-related laws. With this agreement, Pilgrim's Pride sets itself up as an industry leader in adopting recommended immigration practices. I commend the thorough investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, without which this agreement would not have been possible," Bales said.

"ICE's goal is to reduce the opportunity for illegal work in the United States," said John Morton, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE. "This settlement acknowledges that Pilgrim's Pride is committed to adopting a rigorous immigration compliance program."

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General. District Criminal Chief Arnold Spencer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan R. Jackson represented the Eastern District of Texas.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE comprises four integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 30, 2009
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0912/091230beaumont.htm

Pilgrim's Pride pays $4.5M to end immigrant probe

By ANABELLE GARAY

DALLAS ”Federal investigators will not prosecute Pilgrim's Pride Corp. for employing illegal immigrants and have dropped an investigation into the chicken producer and its workers, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Texas said Wednesday.

The Pittsburg, Texas-based company in turn agreed to pay the Department of the Treasury $4.5 million and improve processes to screen prospective employees to ensure they are allowed to work in the United States, the office said in a statement.

An investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to the arrest in December 2007 of 25 people involved in a scheme to secure jobs for illegal immigrants at Pilgrim's Pride plants in East Texas. Some of those arrested were human resources employees at the company.


The U.S. Attorney's Office did not say how their cases were concluded.

The arrests were followed in April 2008 with raids of Pilgrim's Pride plants in Texas, Florida, West Virginia, Arkansas and Tennessee. The company cooperated and ICE agents arrested 338 illegal workers. Of those, 38 were convicted of misuse of a Social Security number and others faced deportation or other immigration proceedings.

All immigration-related investigations into the company and its current and former employees have been closed, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

This case demonstrates that the government and business, working together, can go a long way to resolving the issue of employment of illegal aliens,â€

And they still haven't learned their lesson. This is a drop in the bucket for Pilgram's Pride. By being able to use slave labor they save many times that in one year. It's time Pilgram's Pride executives start serving some long prison sentences along with these fines.

Pilgrims's Pride announced Monday it was emerging from bankruptcy protection. Under a reorganization plan, Pilgrim's Pride will sell a 64 percent stake in the company, worth $800 million, to Brazilian beef giant JBS” the world's biggest meat producer.

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