![](http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050415/images/metro_workers.jpg")
Posted on 04/15/2005 7:33:29 AM PDT by onyx
Lack of penalties on employers seen as incentive
By Leslie Berestein
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 15, 2005
In what immigration officials are calling the most widespread hiring of unauthorized workers by a local employer in years, 86 people have been found to be working illegally for a San Diego military contractor, more than half the company's 167-person work force.
The unauthorized workers were discovered during a federal audit of Naval Coating Inc., a contracting company that paints and sandblasts U.S. Navy and commercial ships. In keeping with the recent trend in work-site enforcement, the employer faces no immediate criminal or civil penalties, although an investigation is pending.
Eighteen Naval Coating employees, all in the country illegally, were arrested in their homes early yesterday morning by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Two of them, including one who had a drug smuggling conviction, had been deported before. Thirteen undocumented immigrants found living with the workers were also arrested.
The rest of the unauthorized workers are being sought. Most had clearance to enter the U.S. Naval Station at 32nd Street, as well as shipyards they were sent to that contract with the military.
ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack said that while other work-site enforcement actions in recent years have netted more arrests – 31 unauthorized employees of Continental Marine were arrested a year ago – the Naval Coating audit unearthed the greatest number of employees found working illegally for a local company in at least five years.
All of the 86 unauthorized workers had presented counterfeit driver licenses, state-issued identification cards, Social Security cards or green cards. Some of the documents had spelling and punctuation errors, Mack said.
Immigration laws require employers only to request identification from applicants, not to verify its authenticity. But the sheer number of unauthorized workers discovered at Naval Coating has raised a red flag, Mack said, warranting further investigation.
"Definitely, it is quite concerning to us that this company had such a large number of unauthorized workers," she said, adding that most had been with the company a year or less.
Yesterday afternoon, a receptionist at Naval Coating said that company president and owner James Kuvelas had instructed her to say "no comment."
The company was audited as part of Operation Safe Cities, a federal work-site inspection program that targets local businesses in industries deemed sensitive to national security breaches, such as military contractors and airports.
Since the program's inception in December 2003, more than 540 businesses in San Diego and Imperial counties have been audited, and more than 160 workers arrested.
But none of these workers has had ties to terrorism or came from nations designated by the federal government as "special interest" countries linked to terrorist activities. Of the 18 arrested yesterday, 17 are from Mexico and one is from Guatemala. All the detainees are expected to be returned to their native countries.
So far, none of the employers targeted under Safe Cities has been penalized. According to ICE, only two employers in the city of San Diego have been referred to the U.S. attorney for prosecution since 2000.
"The magnet continues to be there," said Joe Dassaro, president of Local 1613 of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents agents in the San Diego area. "(The employers) go back to the same practices because they are not penalized."
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Leslie Berestein: (619) 542-4579;
leslie.berestein@uniontrib.com
OK, enough is enough....time to put our soldiers at the borders
Not to worry, as most were Hispanic names, so definitely no sign of terrorism. Right, Mohammad Gonzales. Right Achmed Hernandez. See, just good ole Hispanics coming to do the work those lazy Americans won't do.
Security clearance for Navy base!
Posted yesterday from a different source, but it's worth revisiting.
Only 18 arrested, of 80 plus identified illegals....
What?
The employers are at least as guilty as the criminal aliens. Toss their asses in jail. This will give other employers something to think about.
Time to put that contractor out of business.
They were aiding criminals getting access to ships on a military base.
Cancel their contract.
Just window dressing, unless the employers involved actually face fines or jail time.
This is outrageous too!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1384271/posts
The "safe cities" crappola is really something.
Hey, we can't have the government telling businesses who they should hire or fire. [sarcasm]
I think anyone who hires illegals, rents to illegals or aids them in staying here should be made fully responsible for all costs, crimes committed etc.
I agree.
Let's help out the Minutemen.We can write to our congressment and demand that the company be indicted and barred from working as defense contractors.
Yes, please get over here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1384271/posts
I am making some calls right now.
... and the employer? Gets off scot-free? "No harm, no foul"?
My wife and I are sponsoring a doctor to migrate here from Russia in the fall. We had to sign some papers that make us fully responsible for her. If she ends up on welfare, we have to pay it back. If she commits a crime, she gets deported and we pay whatever costs and fines are involve and possibly face jail time. Our responsibility lasts until she acheives full citizenship in between 5 and 7 years.
It's pretty sad that a person who comes here illegally has an easier ride than someone who does the same legally.
Apparently so.
Unreal.
I reckon, that "Safe Cities" act protects violators and illegals.
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