Poultry company's hiring scrutinized
Published: June 1, 2008 at 9:11 PM

GREENVILLE, S.C., June 1 (UPI) -- Authorities are investigating whether poultry company House of Raeford Farms knowingly hired illegal immigrants in South Carolina, former supervisors said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents visited two former supervisors of the company's Greenville, S.C., plant to ask about company hiring practices, the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported Sunday.

Specifically, the federal agents asked how immigrant workers were hired and whether managers knew if those workers were in the country illegally, said Enrique Pagan, a former line supervisor who left the plant in 2006.

Pagan said three agents visited him in April at his new home in Puerto Rico, asking questions and talking about company practices.

"I told them the truth, that there were workers without papers at the plant," he said.

He told the agents he believed two managers knew that workers were illegally in the country.

Of 52 current and former Latino workers who spoke to the newspaper about their legal status, 42 said they were in the country illegally.

House of Raeford, based in North Carolina, said in a statement it has outside firms oversee its internal practices. The company said it was unaware of any federal investigation.

"We take all necessary efforts to comply with applicable law, including immigration laws," the statement said.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Business/2 ... ized/3390/