Hundreds seized in immigration
raids
Managers, employees of pallet maker arrested in several
states
From Terry Frieden and Mike M.
Ahlers
CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) --
Federal immigration authorities rounded up more than 1,000 illegal
immigrants at dozens of sites and charged nine individuals of the
firm that employed them, federal law enforcement officials
announced Wednesday.
Seven current and former managers of IFCO Systems, which has
offices in several states, were arrested and charged in connection
with the employment of illegal immigrants, said U.S. Attorney Glenn
Suddaby in Albany, New York.
Suddaby said two lower level employees were also charged in the
case.
The action against IFCO Systems -- an industry leader in the
manufacture of wooden pallets, crates and containers -- came as
Homeland Security and Justice Department officials prepared to
announce steps to toughen internal enforcement of the nation's
immigration laws.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Homeland
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and other Bush administration
officials and a federal prosecutor will appear at the agency's
Washington headquarters Thursday. They will announce the new
strategy aimed at employers and disclose the results of the
enforcement actions targeting IFCO Systems.
Customs officials said agents made more than a thousand arrests in
nearly 40 locations including Houston, Texas; Cincinnati, Ohio;
Phoenix, Arizona; and Albany, New York.
A customs official said federal authorities checked a "sample" of
5,800 IFCO employee records last year and found that 53 percent had
faulty Social Security numbers.
"They were using Social Security numbers of people that were dead,
of children or just different individuals that did not work at
IFCO," Immigration and Customs agency chief Julie Myers told
CNN.
"The Social Security Administration had written IFCO over 13 times
and told them, 'Listen, You have a problem. You have over a
thousand employees that have faulty Social Security numbers. And we
consider that to be a big problem.' And IFCO did not do anything
about it," Myers said.
Myers said a yearlong investigation revealed that IFCO managers had
induced illegal immigrants to work there, telling some of them to
doctor W-2 tax forms or saying that they did not need to fill out
any documentation at all.
Myers and Suddaby will join Chertoff for Thursday's
announcement.
Immigration legislation pending in Congress would increase
penalties for companies that employ illegal immigrants.
The strictest immigration measures proposed have spurred a series
of demonstrations by opponents nationwide in recent weeks. On
Wednesday, hundreds of high school students protested at the
Colorado Capitol in support of illegal immigrants, The Associated
Press reported.
As public concern over illegal immigration has grown, federal law
enforcement officials have sought to tighten enforcement of laws
against employment of illegal immigrants. The charges include money
laundering, harboring immigrants, illegal immigrant employment and
wire fraud.
"It used to be in these cases that they amounted mainly to a slap
on the wrist or a small civil fine," Myers told CNN. "We're now
focusing on criminal cases and bringing as many criminal charges as
we can when we find employers that blatantly violate work site
enforcement laws."
Asked if senior managers knew or should have known about the
alleged violations, Myers said, "There's no allegation of that at
this time. It's certainly an ongoing investigation. I will tell
you, though, that we are troubled by some of the things that we've
seen at IFCO."
She said the company is cooperating with the investigation.
The criminal complaint against the seven managers charges them with
conspiracy to transport, harbor, and employ illegal immigrants for
private gain.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years
in prison for each illegal immigrant, officials said.
IFCO Systems, based in Germany, with more than 40 offices across
the U.S., issued a statement late Wednesday acknowledging the
federal action.
"IFCO Systems is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is
committed to creating a workplace free of discrimination," the
company said. "It is our policy to comply with all federal and
state employee requirements."
But the IFCO statement did not directly address the charges.
"Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials today conducted
employee background checks at a number of IFCO facilities across
the country. We are cooperating fully with representatives from ICE
and hope to have this matter resolved as soon as possible," the
statement said.
(source: CNN)
