Posted on 08/08/2018 7:25:56 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided businesses in Montana and Nebraska on Wednesday, indicting 17 business owners and mangers for fraud and money laundering.
The agents in the Homeland Security Investigations arm of ICE led the raids on businesses they allege knowingly hired and improperly treated undocumented immigrants, the Associated Press reported.
Authorities took 14 of the people indicted into custody, and are still searching for three others.
Special agent in charge Tracy Cormier told the AP that the raids were part of one of the largest operations in the 15 years of the Homeland Security Investigations branch.
“The whole investigation was initiated, basically, because we knew that these businesses were cheating these workers and cheating taxpayers and cheating their competition,” she said.
ICE raids generally target workers thought to be in the U.S. illegally, not business owners. The agency also told the AP that it arrested 133 workers believed to be in the country illegally.
Cormier told the wire service that the businesses had used fake names and Social Security numbers to hire the workers, and then used “force, fraud, coercion, threat of arrest and/or deportation” to exploit the undocumented immigrants.
ICE officials also alleged that the businesses had withheld taxes from the workers’ pay, but did not turn those funds over to the government, according to the AP.
And those workers were also allegedly forced to pay large fees in order to cash their paychecks, the site reported.
Montana, Minnesota...
One of those “M” states.
Probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Let’s hope so.
Punishing businesses is the way of the democrats.
Build a Wall.
What’s stopping these folks from going all over the nation? Making employers scared to hire illegals.
Probably Michigan. 8>)
Those stinking businesses deserve what they get. They are corrupt to the core.
Funny how that was never enforced and now the problem is even worse.
You see this mix up a couple times a year. MT = Montana then MN = Minnesota is correct. Years ago one of the weather channels had a college student point to the State of Washington (WA) and say “Meanwhile up here in Wisconsin (WI)”! She was never seen again.
“Probably just the tip of the iceberg.”
Yes, certainly. Time to fully enforce existing laws and fine the pants off the employers of trespassers and imprison the traffickers. Yeah, meat and produce will likely go up in price, to cover increased wages to attract American workers, but so be it. Time’s up.
So what is the name of the businesses?
I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but American Business is NOT why we have an immigration problem.
The key to staring the flow in the other direction is to deny illegal aliens employment and benefits.
Jailing employers will get the attention of other employers.
Christensen Farms.
Huge pork producer.
Illegals would not come here if they could not work here.
this is how it should be done: go after the businesses knowingly hiring illegal aliens instead of U.S. citizens ... bankrupt a few and put them in jail and the rest will suddenly see the light ...
The AP story lists a few.
Hydroponic tomatoes, Mexican grocery and restaurant in Nebraska. Big pork producer in Minnesota. Other businesses listed by location only.
“...but American Business is NOT why we have an immigration problem.”
What a load of crap that statement is! Why else do they come here ( apart from the laziest of the lot just wanting our welfare benefits)? “American Business” has purchased our Congress for the expressed reason to be able to hire non-citizens and not be called to task for it. I just wished that the companies raided, had their names plastered all over the headlines, and that after the legal process is concluded, that they go to jail rather than pay fines. Because fines are just another “business expense.”
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