Bush to Propose Broad AmnestyTell Congress to Say No!

FAIR ^ | 12-24-03 | Fair staff

[goldilucky]

300 Illegal Workers Arrested at Wal-Marts
By SUZANNE GAMBOA

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal officials arrested more than 300 illegal workers at 60 Wal-Mart stores across the country early Thursday morning and searched the office of one of the retail chain's corporate executives, a federal official said.

Several law enforcement sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said the investigation grew out of earlier probes of Wal-Mart cleaning crew contractors in 1998 and 2001. Based on recordings of meetings and conversations among Wal-Mart executives, managers and contractors, the law enforcement officials said ``various immigration violations had continued to occur with direct knowledge by the Wal-Mart corporation.''

The workers, members of cleaning crews that the company hired through contractors, were arrested as they finished their night shifts at stores in 21 states. All were in the country illegally, according to Garrison Courtney, a spokesman with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., is the world's largest retailer.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams said the company got wind of the raids when store managers started calling headquarters Thursday morning.
``They arrested a number of members of the floor cleaning crews. They are (employed by) outside contractors; they're not Wal-Mart associates,'' Williams said.
She said the company uses more than 100 third-party contractors for cleaning services in more than 700 stores in the United States. ``We require each of these contractors to use only legal workers,'' she said.
Many of the workers said they were Eastern European and a few were of other ethnicities, Courtney said.
The arrests stem from a November 1998 investigation done in conjunction with the Pennsylvania attorney general's office. That investigation also targeted contractors and subcontractors used by Wal-Mart to clean stores.
Employers are required to check forms known as I-9's, filled out by every new employee, and keep the forms for a specified period of time. An employer can face civil and criminal penalties for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants or failing to comply with the I-9 regulations.
Courtney also said officials searched the office of one of Wal-Mart's executives. Williams could not say whether agents conducted a search at the headquarters and said she did not know of any other Wal-Mart administrative offices where searches may have occurred.
``We are currently trying to understand the scope and detail of the investigation. We are talking to (ICE) and are committed to cooperating with them,'' Williams said. She was unsure how many contractors might be involved.
The workers arrested were detained at local immigration offices, Courtney said. If they had no previous criminal record, they were released with notices to appear before immigration judges.
The states where arrests were made are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Wal-Mart has 1,494 discount stores, 1,386 Supercenters, 532 Sam's Clubs and 56 Neighborhood Markets in the United States. The company has about 1.1 million employees in the United States and 300,000 in other countries. Wal-Mart had sales last year of $244.5 billion.

10/23/03 15:12

[Once-Ler]

Where does it say in the California Constitution that we OWE illegal aliens jobs?

Where did I say we OWE illegal aliens jobs?
Try again Buh-weet.

If Walmart can be busted, then we can also bust up other companies that are practicing illegal hiring that not only violates the laws of this State but discriminates against legal citizens applying for those same jobs.

No problem well just bust the employers of 4-6 million illegals. No trouble at all. It's easy...because I'm a moron and it sounds easy when my most complex thoughts are bumpersticker slogans like..."Illegal Immigration Is A Weapon Of Mass Destruction!"

We can close all the janitor companies, and fast food, and most the farms in America. Then you can grow, and cook your own food, then clean it up when it's finished digesting. Hey we can lock up all the people who rent to them too. Let's just stop all business in the US.

WEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

as I was tipped off by a Mexican national years ago. This person told me exactly what these illegals do to get into this country. I was told they pay as much as $1,000 to get a fake id to get into this country. When they get here, they immediately go to the SS office and get financial assistance including food stamps.

What a nice criminal to let you in on the great scam, and aren't you the clever one for discovering the truth. You should write John Ashcroft now...unless of course the Mexican national tipped you off to the fact that it was John Ashcroft himself forging these fake id's ( GASP! ) and selling them for campaign contributions for Dubya.

I'm sorry I just can't take you seriously. You obviously have not thought about this issue at all. Take a few hours and try to think why your simplistic solution has not been tried by anyone in a position of power. The stupid man will say something like "Duh...it must be 'cause I'm so frickin' smart and all those people in positions of power have not thought about it yet."

[Once-Ler]

Perhaps you missed this

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1043239/posts

Wal-Mart says managers at many levels knew about the problem of illegal workers in its stores, because they had been cooperating for as long as three years in federal investigations in both Pennsylvania and Chicago.

Hey if the Government could get Martha Stewert to cooperate they could arrest Martha Stewert.

[goldilucky]

"Hey if the Government could get Martha Stewert to cooperate they could arrest Martha Stewert."

HuH??? Martha Stewart WAS arrested! She faces possiblity of prison time. But this is not about Ms. Stewart.

I say that if Bush insist on giving illegal aliens amnesty than this will be the end of him period!!! He's through! He has commmited treason against the United States and should be impeached just like Bill Clinton.

[goldilucky]

"We can close all the janitor companies, and fast food, and most the farms in America. Then you can grow, and cook your own food, then clean it up when it's finished digesting. Hey we can lock up all the people who rent to them too. Let's just stop all business in the US."

I cook my food. I'm a damn good cook too! And yes, I can grow my own food. In fact, I was growing my own food since I was a child of ten. I don't need illegals as maids or illegals tilling my garden. I can do it myself! I have years of knowledge and experience. I can grow rutabeggas, squash, tomatoes, lettuce, pumpkin, peanuts, whatever. I'm not a big beef eater as I prefer venison and mutton. Did I also forget to mention that I can fish? Love my trout. Gut it and prepare it myself.

You see, there's alot I do by myself.

BTW, I also clean my own house and spruce my own yard. I hate leafblowers.

Why should I pay a personal trainer when I get a workout just doing all the above. I'm in excellent shape too. I don't count calories...I eat them.

[goldilucky]

If you lived in a Mexican neighborhood like I did and stuck around for awhile, you'd catch on to some illegal activity taking place. This Mexican national did indeed reveal this information to me and told me that these illegals truly hate Americans. They DO sell foodstamps on the street for drugs. Foodstamps that Americans need. They do come into this country with fake id's but they have to pay a hefty price. That means that they have to know somebody in the United States that can aid them. It may be somebody in the INS, or a relative or friend. Either way, once they get here, instead of applying for citizenship like they should, they go to the SS office. They are not entitled to foodstamps and neither are they entitled to any other economic assistance.


Brown bag lunch and go Greyhound.

[Once-Ler]

They are not entitled to foodstamps and neither are they entitled to any other economic assistance.

Maybe we can agree that nobody, citizen or not, is entitled to foodstamps. I would prefer that nobody recieved taxpayer funded food, housing, loans, grants, or money because they are disabled, unemployed, or retired.

Many arguments I read about illegal immigration focus on the amount of money needed to supply illegals with all the socialist goodies that American citizen feed on. I prefer to focus on the problem (socialism run amok) rather than the symptom (illegals getting a piece of the social spending pie.)

[Once-Ler]

I cook my food. I'm a damn good cook too! And yes, I can grow my own food. In fact, I was growing my own food since I was a child of ten.

I am happy you are so independent. I am also very happy that I can stop at Wendy's and pick up a dinner for my family for $15. It is cheap and convenient. Illegals are hard workers and reliable. That is why so many businesses hire them. Businesses don't like to hire killers and thieves. Mexicans buy food and other products. So do their employers who would not be able to stay in business if they had to rely only on teenagers or the retired. The success of one business is dependent on, and influences, other businesses.

Lets take the janitorial services. A successful janitorial business might hire 50% latino. Lets shut that business down now. Half the legal employees now have no jobs. Those employees can no longer afford their first house, car, or child care. The chemical company that sold cleaning supplies has one less customer. The equipment company that sells mops has one less customer.

More importantly the businesses who relied on that company to clean the offices have to go with a more expensive competitor cleaning company and operating expenses eat into profits. Businesses that have low profit margins do not hire...and perhaps fire employees.

Now keep in mind that most cleaning, fast food, and farming employ at least some illegals. Immediately shutting down illegal immigration will hurt our economy more than 9-11.

[Trytophan Man]

Our citizenship is being cheapened to the point of who can pick a head of lettuce for the least amount of pay.

[Once-Ler]

HuH??? Martha Stewart WAS arrested! She faces possibility of prison time.

That is a good point and my analogy was flawed. Still I hope you understand my point. Wal-mart claims it was actively working with the government and helping with their investigation. They asked for instructions and were told to wait. I guess the INS needed time to coordinate the press releases. A better analogy would be a bank owner going to the FBI with concerns that a customer might be a drug dealer and having the FBI arrest him and call a press conference to announce they had just captured the head of a money-laundering conspiracy.

[goldilucky]

"Maybe we can agree that nobody, citizen or not, is entitled to foodstamps. I would prefer that nobody recieved taxpayer funded food, housing, loans, grants, or money because they are disabled, unemployed, or retired."

I can agree with this although the original intent of foodstamps and welfare was for single unemployed mothers who were natural born citizens.

Maybe just abolish the income tax as it is communist in structure. Taxing somebody's wages to give partly to another is a violation of due process. But that's a separate issue.

[goldilucky]

"...Businesses don't like to hire killers and thieves..."

Are you insinuating that hardworking Americans fit that description above?

"Mexicans buy food and other products. So do their employers who would not be able to stay in business if they had to rely only on teenagers or the retired. The success of one business is dependent on, and influences, other businesses."

And Americans don't buy food and other products? The purpose of hiring teenagers to work in fast food restaurants is to enable them to get some work experience. Mostly it concerns customer service experience. It was never meant to be a career!

I have experienced in the last several years, by running into Mexican employees at McDonald's, Mexican's who give out wrong change and slam the door in your face before you can get the chance to rebut the problem. Most cannot get the order right cause they speak broken English.
But, I don't let them get away with stealing my money. I confront them in front of their boss and make them count out the proper amount of change owed to me.

[goldilucky]

I didn't realize that Walmart was IN on the raid. That is really something. Guess we're not hearing all of the story.

If Martha is found guilty, she will be facing 30 years in prison for supposedly "insider trading". It is funny to note that Ms. Hillary never went to jail for insider trading of selling futures while working at the Rose Hill lawn firm during the Clinton and McDougal years.

[Once-Ler]

Are you insinuating that hardworking Americans fit that description above?

Not at all. It is just that I often hear people equating illegally entering the USA, with the intend of earning a living and providing for a family, with murder and rape. "Illegal is Illegal."

And Americans don't buy food and other products?

My point in a nutshell is that Mexican labor in deeply entwined in our economy. It will be a devil to untangle and simple solutions like "lets just close the border and ship 'em all back." are not constructive or well thought out.

I have experienced in the last several years, by running into Mexican employees at McDonald's, Mexican's who give out wrong change and slam the door in your face before you can get the chance to rebut the problem.

I have had the opposite experience. Latinos that I have had contact with have, for the most part, been MORE friendly and helpful than the average kid out of high school.

[goldilucky]

Well that's nice to know you have not experienced the rudesness that I have encountered on numerous times. After awhile one really does wonder if all their culture is like that.

One time, I was eating at a Bog's Big Boy restaurant and upon paying my meal and tipping the Mexican waitress, I was expecting change. But guess what the little bitch did? She ran off with the change along with my tip. Then I find out she is still working there. I had never prior to the incident, I had never eaten at that place before.