Thread: Fed's warn Companies using illegal workers

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060420/D8H41BR00.html

OK, so we had a "catch and release". I kind of follow why the executives and managers were arrested, but I don't understand letting the illegals go? Can anyone make sense of what is going on? Does the above mean anything? Or is this another hollow promise? The frustration continues...

I think you'll be amazed to find that the article you are refering to is no longer on the Web. The link now leads to a tough talk Chertoff article that makes no mention of the catch and release of 26 illegal aliens in Chicago. The release was demanded by activist Carlos Roberto Lopez. There were 3 articles on the Web yesterday mentioning Mr. Lopez and today all are gone from the Web with the Google news links bringing up different articles than described today. Very curious.

Link to Alipac thread here: http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-23479.html

Interesting! I just clicked on it and found the very article I was referring to (attached below). There has been a classed "denial of service" from someone putting up "diversion" URL's to misdirect a lot of web sites lately. Anyway, here is the article:

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By ANDREW MIGA

(AP) IMMIGRATION RAIDS 042006: Map shows IFCO administrative and criminal arrests; with BC-Immigration...
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WASHINGTON (AP) - The government plans to crack down ever harder on employers who harbor and hire illegal immigrants, pursuing companies that ignore the law so they can exploit cheap labor.

"We are going to move beyond the current level of activity to a higher level in each month and year to come," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday. He pledged to "come down as hard as possible" on violators.

Federal agents on Wednesday arrested seven current and former managers of IFCO Systems, a manufacturer of crates and pallets, on criminal charges, and more than 1,100 people were arrested on administrative immigration charges at more than 40 IFCO sites in the U.S.

"Our nation's communities cannot be a wild frontier where illegal aliens and unscrupulous employees subvert our nation's laws," said Julie Myers, assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.


(AP) IFCO systems, shown Thursday, April 20, 2006, in Phoenix, was one of several sites where...
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Don Sherman, director of the Cincinnati Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, an advocate for immigrant workers and their rights, was skeptical about the government's move.

"I think the timing is very suspicious because there are a number of rallies coming up around the country promoting immigration reform," he said.

Chertoff denied the timing of the stepped up enforcement had anything to do with recent immigration demonstrations, saying the investigations began more than a year ago.

Messages left with IFCO officials were not immediately returned Thursday. In a statement Wednesday, the company pledged to cooperate with the investigation and comply with state and federal requirements.

The Netherlands-based company describes itself as the leading pallet services company in America. It reported $116 million in profits last year on sales of $576 million.

More than half of the company's roughly 5,800 employees during 2005 had invalid or mismatched Social Security numbers, the government alleges.

The case began after officials got a tip that IFCO workers in Guilderland, N.Y. were seen ripping up their W-2 forms because they did not intend to file tax returns, Chertoff said.

Six of seven current and former IFCO managers charged with felony conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens were released on bond and are to appear May 4 in Albany, N.Y., where the criminal complaint was filed and the investigation began at a suburban IFCO facility.

The managers could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each alien involved, as well as forfeitures.

"Just a small fine or a slap on the wrist is not a deterrent," Myers said.

Most of the 1,187 illegal immigrants arrested are being processed for deportation, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Sciocchetti in Albany.

"They were getting cheated on their overtime," she said. "There were 10 to 20 people living in a house sleeping on air mattresses. They weren't the greatest employment conditions."

In other recent high-profile immigration cases:

_The operators of three Baltimore restaurants pleaded guilty to immigration charges last week.

_Nine people affiliated with two temporary employment agencies with business in New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania were charged in an alleged $5.3 million scheme involving illegal immigrants.

If Congress provides the money, officials said they plan to add about 200 more agents by the end of next year as they go after companies that violate immigration laws. There are now about 325 agents.

Federal officials also are asking Congress for greater access to workers' Social Security data to help uncover illegal aliens who use bogus identification data.

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This Carlos Roberto Lopez guy must be very powerful to make all that happen? Never heard of him, but must be best friends with Jorge Bush? Does he take his dinner with Jorge often? Anyone that powerful must be running for President? Again, laws are broken and activist are getting their way? Still doesn't make any sense...frustration continues to grow...

It was all for 'show and tell'. The feds are not going to carry out true deportation of the illegals. In the Chicago raid (I think) they swooped up 1,000 illegals, but now say there are only 26 going through deportation procedures. Is that because they had real looking SS cards? Who knows. But it was all staged so that on monday, the senators will say "see, the federal government means business". Hahaha!