It's another ho-hum day at work. Oh sure, it's Chinese New Year and Rosi's birthday--two reasons to celebrate a little during our lunch break. But an event worth talking about was the plethora of ICE agents in our complex. Sure, we knew for awhile that the Detention facility for Homeland Security is somewhere nearby our workplace, but we never thought that they're actually next door to us!
Two big vans bearing the name "Homeland Security" pulled up our parking lot this morning; every parking stalls were full and 100s of officers were swarming the warehouse complex. "What's going on next door?," someone asked. I thought and said, "Maybe they made a raid this morning and those vans are full of illegal aliens." Little did I know that I spoke the truth. I was too busy to check CNN.com or KSL.com ... so when I got home I searched the news and I was like "Oh, wow! I was right! They did make a raid!" I wish I took a picture of the action ... but I didn't. :(
Anyways, here's the news taken from harktheherald.com:
Thursday, 07 February 2008
Fifty illegal immigrants arrested at Lindon plant
Grace Leong - DAILY HERALD
Universal Industrial Sales' HR director faces criminal charges More than 50 illegal immigrants working at a manufacturing plant in Lindon were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents earlier this morning.
Universal Industrial Sales Inc., a Lindon-based maker of guardrails, bridge rails and sign structures, was charged with 10 criminal counts of harboring illegal immigrants "for commercial advantage" between January 2003 and December 2006, according to an indictment unsealed today in Salt Lake City.
The law enforcement action, conducted by more than 100 ICE agents at 8 a.m. today, affected more than half of Universal's 100-plus work force.
A second indictment, also unsealed today, charges Alejandro "Alex" Urrutia-Garcia, 39, a human resource director at Universal, with two counts of encouraging or inducing illegal aliens to stay in the United States unlawfully.
A naturalized U.S. citizen, Urruita-Garcia of Provo was arrested this morning during the raid. He faces a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. Urrutia-Garcia is scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Nuffer in Salt Lake City.
The company faces a potential maximum penalty of $500,000 in fines or twice the amount of any pecuniary gain stemming from the offense, whichever is greater, for each count. The company is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Court on Feb. 26.
"The investigation and prosecution of employers who violate our nation's immigration laws by hiring illegal workers is an important component of a comprehensive immigration strategy which involves apprehending and prosecuting those illegally in the country and those who facilitate the continued unlawful presence of such individuals," U.S. Attorney Brett L. Tolman said.
"Today's action should send a clear message to employers in Utah. We expect employers to comply with immigration laws in hiring employees. Failure to comply with these laws hampers our ability to address illegal immigration issues," he said.
"While our country's immigration laws must be recognized and vigorously enforced, we understand that the individuals taken into custody today may have families who have been in the United States for lengthy periods of time. Strictly enforcing immigration laws and having compassion for the families of those involved are not mutually exclusive. We have encouraged ICE to consider and address humanitarian issues as they interview these workers and are confident they are taking steps to do so," Tolman said.
Details on the nationalities of those arrested today weren't immediately available.
Workers taken into custody today on administrative immigration violations are being interviewed, photographed, fingerprinted, and processed by immigration officials. The workers are being interviewed by ICE agents and health professionals with ICE's Division of Immigration Health Services to determine if they have any medical, sole-caregiver, or other humanitarian-related issues, which could qualify them for a conditional humanitarian release.
"After they go through the administrative processing, they will be placed in Utah County and Weber County Jails until they are removed from the U.S. or appear before an immigration judge in Salt Lake to plead their case," said ICE spokesman Greg Palmore.
Family members of workers arrested in the operation today can call a toll-free hotline number to get information about the detention status and removal process. The toll-free hotline number is 1-866-341-3858.
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