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ICE remains quiet on investigation

By CARY ASHBY - Reflector Staff Writer | Friday August 15 2008, 11:01pm

The U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is continuing its investigation of suspected immigration violations by area Casa Fiesta restaurants. However, the federal agency is staying mum on the details.

The July 23 raid shut down the Casa Fiesta in Norwalk about lunch time. ICE agents used nine federal search warrants to arrest 58 people at eight restaurants in the chain and local owner Ramon Ornelas' Norwalk home. The incidents came after a more than a year-long investigation.

All 58 people arrested are citizens of Mexico. Three of the four women arrested one of whom was Ornelas' wife were released on their own recognizance on humanitarian grounds. However, they are still required to appear before a federal immigration judge who will ultimately determine whether they have a legal right to remain in the United States.

ICE spokesman Greg Palmore said the warrants were used to "further" an investigation.

"Those individuals arrested on immigration violations are afforded due process under the nation's law. Some however, had already received a final order from an immigration judge (IJ)," he said. "Typically, once the information gathered from the investigation leads to violations of the law, it is presented for prosecution in federal court."

A final order is the decision made by the IJ, which would allow for someone's removal from the US.

"Others arrested chose to forego immigration proceedings, basically choosing to return home without going through the IJ," Palmore said.

He was asked what, if anything, ICE has discovered about local violating immigration policies and how long those suspected offenses have been happening. In July, Palmore said agents were in Norwalk to see if immigrants were being illegally hired or harbored, calling it "one of many reasons" for the search warrant.

"Once again the investigation is ongoing. If the investigation achieves that conclusion, it will be presented for federal prosecution," Palmore said Friday via e-mail.

At the Norwalk restaurant July 24, ICE agents escorted at least two men in plastic handcuffs from outside the restaurant entrance into an unmarked, white conversion van.

Palmore explained why ICE has not released the men's names, ages or addresses.

"Local law (enforcement) has more flexibility in the release of information than federal law enforcement. At ICE, we have to abide by privacy act laws and third party information laws. In a nutshell, policies and directives on information release at the federal level are stricter than local law enforcement," he said.

Also on July 24, Huron County Sheriff's Capt. Bob McLaughlin spoke to the ICE agent in charge in at Ornelas' home in the 7300 block of Ohio 61. McLaughlin has said four other deputies assisted agents with using a search warrant, which netted undisclosed items being seized as evidence.

Ornelas' wife was "temporarily detained," but was released because she was the only person available to take care of her children. Ornelas himself was not arrested.

Casa Fiesta is a Norwalk-based chain of Mexican restaurants located in Ashland, Fremont, Norwalk, Oberlin, Oregon, Sandusky, Vermillion and Youngstown.