Thread: CA-Immigration raids snag nine suspects in Vallejo

Immigration raids snag nine suspects in Vallejo
By TONY BURCHYNS/Times-Herald staff writer
Article Launched: 09/18/2008 08:46:55 AM PDT


A FEDERAL Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent loads workers from Empire Buffet on Sonoma Boulevard into a van after a raid Wednesday morning. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 21 suspected illegal immigrants in a series of raids on homes and businesses in Vallejo, Vacaville and other Bay Area cities Wednesday, the agency announced.
Beginning at 10 a.m., ICE teams in Vallejo targeted two restaurants and two homes as part of an ongoing investigation into possible alien-harboring violations, ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said.

Of those arrested, nine were illegal immigrants staying or working in Vallejo, Kice said. Seven were arrested at Empire Buffet near the corner of Sonoma Boulevard and Redwood Street, and two were taken into custody at a home on the 3900 block of Glacier Court.

ICE teams made the arrests while executing four federal criminal search warrants at the Empire Buffet in Vallejo, Kings Buffet in Vacaville and two homes suspected to be linked to the restaurants, Kice said.

Agents also conducted a consensual search at a home in Hercules, where six people were arrested, the agency said.

No criminal arrests were made, but agents seized evidence as part of their ongoing investigation, Kice said.

The 21 undocumented workers - all adults - came from six countries. Nine were from China, five from Mexico, three from Guatemala, two from Indonesia and one each from Singapore and Honduras.

All were taken to Sacramento where they are being interviewed and processed as illegal immigrants. They are also being questioned about urgent medical needs and whether any had children

residing with them, authorities said.
"No business, regardless of size, type or location is immune from complying with the law," assistant special agent Daniel Lane said in a press release. "All too often illegal alien workers are exploited in some fashion by the businesses that hired them and that is unacceptable. Our investigation in this case is ongoing and we will go where the evidence leads us."

The investigation stems from a lead from a local law enforcement agency on suspicious activity at the Vacaville residence that agents searched Wednesday, Kice said.

At one residence, agents found a garage turned into sleeping quarters. At another, they found a coin operated washing machine, Kice said.

• E-mail Tony Burchyns at tburchyns@thnewsnet.com or call (707) 553-6831.
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The 21 undocumented workers - all adults - came from six countries. Nine were from China, five from Mexico, three from Guatemala, two from Indonesia and one each from Singapore and Honduras.

I can just foresee the next recordings we get when calling banks and utility companies, "Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish and 3 for Mandarin Chinese."