Illegal Worker Probe Spurs Raid In Oregon

U.S. federal agents on Tuesday raided the offices of a food processing plant suspected of employing hundreds of illegal workers who used Social Security numbers that belonged to other people or were made up, authorities said.

By Tuesday morning, approximately 100 workers had been placed under administrative arrest to be processed for possible deportation, an official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said. More arrests were expected, the official said.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to talk about the case ahead of a news conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

According to an affidavit filed by Maximillian Trimm, a special agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, only 48 of nearly 600 employees at the Fresh Del Monte Produce fruit and vegetable processing plant had valid Social Security numbers.

Prosecutors said a federal grand jury had indicted three people on criminal charges, but the indictment remained under seal.

The raid at American Staffing Resources Inc. offices at the plant was based on an investigation by ICE and the Social Security Administration that began in January, the official told The Associated Press.

Separate American Staffing offices also were searched, along with a Fresh Del Monte office, officials said.

A federal judge authorized agents to search for evidence of violations such as hiring illegal aliens, identity theft and Social Security fraud, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Portland.

Federal prosecutors said that 20 of the Social Security numbers being misused belonged to people older than 60, and that 29 belonged to dead people.

Aeryca Steinbauer, spokeswoman for CAUSA Oregon, an immigration rights group, was outside the Del Monte plant as agents were interviewing workers, but she said she had not been able to talk to any of them.

[zapotec49]

Have to assume the comments here are made by native born American Citizens, even though the grammar of their english would fail an english class. Have to assume also the view that a nation built on immigration should become a xenophobic, paranoid, even stupid and inbred population of tattle-tales. I am embarrassed by by these comments. You should all be ashamed. People come here to work, so their children do not die for lack of medicine and food. Stupidity causes the border to be shut down preventing their return to to their countries when the nest egg is made. But you would deny entry to these people in favor of "Talk about giving our hard fought for country...business people go to hell and take your Mexicans with you."
Read a book about history. as for vivaviva80 you need grammar and history lessons.
Remember you are supposed to be Christians and exercise compassion. Where is Jesus in your inhumane hatred?

[fizzal-2009]

is everyone ignoring the big picture? pay too cross the border pay too find someplace too live pay for an id pay too get work, this is paying organized crime not just an illegal border crossing in the millions.

[rudy654-2009]

"Like I SAID, BOYCOTT Del monte,now!!!!!!!!"

You don't have to worry about boycotting them. Soon, you won't be able to afford to buy their produce anyway.

[slim1h2o]

Like I SAID, BOYCOTT Del monte,now!!!!!!!!

[nottellin1]

Posted by mikesmith494 at 05:16 PM : Jun 13, 2007

Great post, good information, thanks. It would be nice to see more of this type of info in these comments instead of simply snipping at each other.

[mikesmith494]

call 1-805-688-5737 and report a business that hires illegals. Have address , phone number, owner name & address, personnel or hiring manager & his phone number. When the voice says how you know they're illegal, say "They told me" they almost always do. They'll give you a case number that you can call them back & check progress., and also add new info as you get it. Go to the biz & apply. I'm doing it at the SEIU (janitors union) local in Santa Rosa Calif.which has signs in Mex. that says how to hide from La Migra. Learn some mex. for self-defense.

[greybeerd60]

Did it say anywhere the the illegals stolen/fraudulent/made-up documents were
confiscated, or will they just take off and
use them again somewhere else?

Only 48 of 600 had valid SS numbers? DelMonte
and the Social Security Administration are
co-conspirators in this....MAJOR fraud.

[nottellin1]

Read Washington Post story entitled Database Is Tool in Deporting Fugitives. This story states that there are 600,000 fugitives in the crimnal database ignoring deportation orders but law enforcement is hesitant to arrest. WHAT? I thought no one could find them. Now theyre telling us that even if found they wont deport.

Heres the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/12/AR2007061202054.html

OUTRAGEOUS

[lestb35]

Talk about giving away our hard fought for country..
business people go to hell and take your Mexicans with you.

Posted by tblazer76 at 12:48 PM : Jun 13, 2007


I hear you, the rich don't have to deal with the stress community services, schools, hospitals, neighborhood graphiti,crime drugs. Neighborhoods going to pot, noise, fights,weekend long fiesta parties. Ask anyone who's had to live with it. There is no one to call and report illegal activity or illegals in general because nobody knows what to do with them. It's like the frigging gold rush complete lawlessness.

[slim1h2o]

Go to Washington D.C. talk about 3rd world, nobody speaks english there. Thats what they want.
for us to be a 3rd world country.