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John Daley ReportingEyewitness News has learned numerous undocumented immigrants were arrested in Utah yesterday as part of a nationwide crackdown. They worked at a Tooele plant owned by a large company headquartered in Texas.
The company is called IFCO; it makes shipping pallets. The government says executives there systematically hired undocumented immigrants, more than a thousand of them in 26 states, including Utah. Yesterday, in cities around the country, federal agents rounded up undocumented workers, all working for IFCO Systems, the largest pallet making company in the US. As part of that sweep, Eyewitness News has learned 13 undocumented immigrants were arrested at the IFCO facility in Tooele, most coming from El Salvador.
David Scott, Special Agent, Immigration and Customs Enforcement: "Typically when we do these kind of things, they're not terribly surprised that we're there. A lot of times it's more or less 'this is eventually going to happen to me.'"
Sid Siders, Supervisory Special Agent, Immigration and Customs Enforcement: "It's a lot more serious than a say some foreman who wants to hire a couple of laborers to landscape a yard, when we have a national company doing that, that takes precedence."
The company declined our request for an on-camera interview today. However, they did fax a statement that says that immigration and customs enforcement agents did conduct employee background checks there and the company is fully cooperating with the investigation.
The government says company management not only hired illegal workers, but also provided fake documents, housing and transportation. More than half of IFCO's employees had questionable Social Security numbers.
Community activist Tony Yapias says the sweep has put some in the Latino community on edge and he's been swamped with calls asking...
Tony Yapias , Community Activist: "What is going on? Are they cracking down? Should we go to work tomorrow? What do we need to do?"
Federal agents say they're aware some of those arrested have families here, but they want to send a strong message.
Sid Siders: "My advice would be, do not hire illegal aliens."
Federal agents are not releasing the names of those arrested. They say their investigation here continues; they'll be going through all the documents and it's possible those who hired the men here in Utah could also face charges.
