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In Raids' Aftermath, DHS Finds More Crooks -- and Innocents
The Department of Homeland Security is still holding and processing several hundred workers grabbed in early-morning raids Tuesday -- and finding some surprises.
Agents have charged at least 35 more detainees with criminal violations, according to DHS figures quoted in the Grand Island (Neb.) Independent. "More than 100 people nationwide have now been charged with criminal violations," the paper reports this morning. On Wednesday, that number was 65.
DHS has not said how many of those charged were accused of identity theft.
Meanwhile, agents have also identified a number of legal workers they swept up in the raids, dubbed "Operation Wagon Train," and held for days before releasing them. The United Food and Commercial Workers union has rented vans to pick up newly-released workers from government holding facilities and bring them back home.
Comments (6)
northzax wrote on December 15, 2006 9:20 AM:the big question for me in all this, is what sort of penalties are there for Swift? They're employing hundreds of people illegally? Why are any of these plants, let alone the company, still in business?
has anyone addressed this?
Steve H. wrote on December 15, 2006 11:36 AM:The Salt Lake City NPR station was reporting last night that at least 60 people from the Logan, Utah, plant were being charged with identity violations. I don't know if these are part of the 65 reported in Muckraker yesterday, or additional violations.
Rambuncle wrote on December 15, 2006 2:13 PM:the big question for me in all this, is what sort of penalties are there for Swift? They're employing hundreds of people illegally?
Easy. DHS continues to claim that these raids are all about identity theft. They thus say, "Swift is just as much a victim as those whose identities were stolen. While searching for criminals, we did locate a number of illegal immigrants at Swift's facilities. Because of Swift's cooperation in the probe, they will be paying a reduced fine for their employment of illegal immigrants. The fine will be used to fund education programs to teach people the benefits of strict immigration laws(either operated by Republican or faith-based)."
pikemov wrote on December 16, 2006 11:42 PM:I happened to read an article concerning one family's plight with a stolen SSN--their child's. The mother spent 250-300 hours straightening all the problems out. So how many times is this scenario repeated? The family didn't have to pay any bills, but I bet many people do--or that businesses absorb costs. It's not limited to one group. I heard earlier in the year that many Irish had come to this country on visas, run up credit card accounts, and then moved back to Ireland. Well, alcohol and credit cards are a dangerous combo.
So what is the USA? A vast target for scammers?
slb wrote on December 20, 2006 12:39 PM:>>The United Food and Commercial Workers union has rented vans to pick up newly-released workers from government holding facilities and bring them back home.<<
The government sweeps up innocent people in a raid, reportedly largely on the color of their skin, carts them off to parts unknown, possibly some other part of the country, and those who finally manage to establish their innocence are simply turned out the door and have to make their own way home? That sucks.
master cards wrote on April 24, 2007 7:12 AM:MasterCard Worldwide is a membership organization owned by the 25,000+ financial institutions that issue its card. MasterCard is also the company's brand of credit cards. It was originally created by United California Bank, Wells Fargo, Crocker National Bank, and the Bank of California as a competitor to the BankAmericard issued by Bank of America. BankAmericard is now the VISA credit card, issued by Visa International.