Feds charge Bellingham company with hiring illegals


Published: 08/17/09 4:56 pm


Federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a Washington state manufacturing company where 28 people were arrested during a February immigration raid.

Bellingham-based Yamato Engines Specialists has been charged Monday with conspiring to encourage undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.

The raid at Yamato was the first since President Barack Obama took office and attracted national attention because Obama had signaled a desire to stop arresting workers in mass immigration raids and instead focus on prosecuting the companies that hired them.

Prosecutors also charged two employees with allowing undocumented workers to file false employment forms with the government. The employees were expected to plead guilty on Tuesday.


http://www.thenewstribune.com/updates/s ... source=rss