ICE arrests 280 at Texas firm, biggest immigration bust in a decade
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
More than 280 employees of a north Texas telecommunications repair company were arrested by federal immigration officials in the largest worksite operation in more than a decade, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said.
ICE's Homeland Security Investigations unit executed criminal search warrants Wednesday at CVE Technology Group and four related businesses. CVE is based in Allen, about 25 miles north of Dallas.
"The investigation is ongoing but we can disclose that this is the largest ICE worksite operation at one site in the last 10 years," said Katrina Berger, HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge.
She said the agency began the investigation in January after receiving multiple tips that the company may have knowingly hired undocumented immigrants, many of whom were using fraudulent identification documents.
Wendy Armas, a Guatemalan national with two teen children, told NBCDFW.com she's worked at CVE since arriving in the United States five years ago. She said she was arrested and bused away before being released after promising to appear in court next month.
"The hardest thing was when the bus started taking off," she said. "There was a long moment of silence, people crying, people saying 'I’m going to leave this country and go back to my own.'"
All of those arrested will be interviewed by ICE staff to record any medical, sole-caregiver or other humanitarian situations, ICE said in a statement. Based on these interviews, ICE will determine if those arrested remain in custody or are considered for humanitarian release.
All, however, will be fingerprinted and processed for removal from the United States.
Many of the individuals employed at CVE were using fraudulent ID documents, ICE said.
"Unauthorized workers often use stolen IDs of legal U.S. workers, which can profoundly damage for years the identity-theft victim’s credit, medical records and other aspects of their everyday life," the statement said.
ICE said its worksite investigations combat worker exploitation, illegal wages, child labor and other illegal practices. Worksite enforcement investigations often involve human smuggling, human trafficking, money laundering, document fraud and worker exploitation, the agency said.
“Businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens create an unfair advantage over their competing businesses," Berger said. “They take jobs away from U.S. citizens and legal residents, and they create an atmosphere poised for exploiting their illegal workforce.”
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I hope this sends a clear message to other border states and beyond that this may happen there as well. Especially to those knowingly hiring illegals.
If drug dealers can lose all assets that came from illegal sales then illegal aliens should lose all assets they gained during the time they were here illegally. Employers should forfeit all money made for them by illegal aliens in addition to large fines
"which can profoundly damage for years the identity-theft victim’s credit"
Went through the "Fix" process for my 6 year old daughter on this…… a few moons ago. Imagine having to "Fix" your "6 year old's" credit, before she even gets started in life !
when an illegal uses somebody's social security number does the real social security account get credit for the money paid under that number?
I've often wondered about that. Badfish may know.
And you wonder why the illegals flock here when employers employ them....shut down the business, take all their assets.
On this, we agree 100%.
So . . . not "honest hard-working people just trying to make a better life for themselves." More like opportunists getting ahead at the expense of actual honest hard-working people.
don't let the company off that easily. Even the article states that they probably knowingly hired these people when they could have hired legal citizens
No, I wouldn't. I just hear a lot more about how virtuous and pure all "undocumented workers" are than I do about desperate and innocent employers. Of course, the employers are wrong, as well.
That's the thing - if they're honest, they'd be paying taxes - except if they're paying taxes, they're not honest because they have to commit identity theft to pay taxes. And if they're not paying taxes, they're not honest. But yet we're not supposed to refer to them as "illegal immigrants" when that is exactly what they are.
Many of them are hard-working and trying to make a better life for themselves, I'll grant that. But there's a right way to do that.
I truly feel sorry for many of these people. If I lived in a crappy place, I'd probably do whatever it took to try to make a better life for myself, especially if I had children. But unfortunately we cannot afford to help them all, and can't afford to take in everyone from around the world who lives in a crappy place. We can't even afford to help all of our own citizens. I wish we could, but we can't.
I don't just follow links. You have to give me a reason.
Fuck the workers, the employers are the problem.
Yes, pick up your hammer and sickle and revolt ...... check that, wrong time-frame ..... pick up your bike lock and ski mask and revolt!
Why go after the the employees and not go after the actual source? Go after the companies, many employers, including Trump and his businesses are guilty of this.
In 10 years, the entire last decade, and 280 is all they can claim as a "major bust"? Where's the emergency?
If the companies that do not completely and properly vet their employees and every company were held to the same standard, half of the employers in the country would be in cuffs.
Spinning this as those who are arrested are the most guilty is disgusting. Republican politicians have turned a blind eye to illegal immigration for the last 50 years to appease their wealthy donors who want cheap labor.
Trump has been found to hire illegals, rather than hire Americans he applies for foreign workers with visas and as we have seen many that manage his properties don't follow the rules and have even given workers false documents.