Thread: SEVEN ARRESTED IN ICE OPERATION TARGETING UNAUTHORIZED

SEVEN ARRESTED IN ICE OPERATION TARGETING UNAUTHORIZED WORKERS AT CUSTOMS WAREHOUSE
SAN FRANCISCO – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents yesterday arrested seven Mexican nationals who were working illegally at a Pacific American Service (PACAM) warehouse and distribution center for goods brought into the United States through the Port of Oakland.

In yesterday morning’s operation, ICE agents apprehended the men as they reported for work at PACAM’s Hayward warehouse. The workers were identified after agents audited the hiring records of more than 60 PACAM workers and found that approximately 25 percent of the employees may not have been authorized to work in the United States.

Yesterday’s operation is part of ICE’s worksite enforcement efforts focusing on businesses with ties to security sensitive sites and critical infrastructure facilities -- including airports, military bases, and bio-agriculture industries. Unauthorized workers with access to such sites are vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists, smugglers, traffickers, or other criminals. PACAM’S bonded facilities are located in northern California, close to the San Francisco and Oakland ports, rail yards and international airports.

“Addressing security vulnerabilities that pose a potential threat to our nation's vital infrastructure is a crucial part of ICE's enforcement strategy,� said Charles DeMore, special agent-in-charge for ICE investigations in San Francisco. “When someone uses fraud or false documents to gain access to a major cargo hub like the Port of Oakland, we have no way of knowing who they really are or what their motives might be. If that person turns out to be a criminal or a terrorist, they are in a position to strike a devastating blow against the flow of commerce and our nation’s economy.�

The men arrested yesterday will be voluntarily returned to Mexico or deported after facing administrative charges for violating immigration laws. At least one of the men had been previously deported and may be subject to criminal prosecution.

To aid employers, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services operates the Basic Pilot Program, a Web-based system that enables businesses to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired workers. Nationwide, there are more than 20,000 hiring sites using the Basic Pilot Program. Interested employers are urged to call the agency’s toll-free number [888-464-4218] to obtain more information about the program

http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsre ... ncisco.htm

I set here thinking about our National Security. With all the violations of security this year. It simply amazes me that the Media is not hammering this home. I know in 1993 at Fernald Ohio, at a Nuclear site. A rigger was rigging a piece of concrete, the 1" strap broke and the concrete fell 1'. For 6 months there was a national stand down at all DOE facility's. Now with all the security breaches, there is not a stoppage of construction on the sites. Is our congresspeople that dumb, that a terrorists is going to see these thing and going to have his way?