Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Gene Kennedy and The Associated Press Reporting Nearly 13-hundred people were arrested during yesterday's raids at meatpacking plants in Utah and five other states.
Federal authorities today say it was the largest workplace crackdown on illegal immigration. The arrested workers are from Latin America and elsewhere.
Most arrests were tied to immigration violations, but 65 people were detained on criminal warrants.
Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security: "ICE agents yesterday arrested 1,282 individuals as part of on site work enforcement investigations at six facilities owned by Swift & Company, the nation's third largest processor of fresh pork and beef."
The raids follow a ten-month investigation into illegal immigrants suspected of buying or stealing other people's identities to secure jobs in the US.
But federal officials point out that Swift followed the law by voluntarily submitting names and social security numbers to be checked against a federal database.
Homeland Security investigators say identity theft rings have discovered a new market and law-abiding citizens are paying the price.
Julie Myers, ICE Assistant Secretary: "Instead of obtaining fraudulent documents with fraudulent identities, illegal aliens are buying genuine documents with real identities."
Nothing raised red flags though, because the names were real and they matched real social security numbers. Finally, agents noticed a trend in the names and numbers.
Federal officials hinted Tuesday's raids are just the beginning of a new wave of crackdowns targeting identity theft and illegal immigrants.
The raid may have been a crackdown on identity theft. But the larger issue of Immigration reform still remains unaddressed.
In Utah, the raid occurred at the Swift plant in Hyrum. Swift plants in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Texas were also affected.
Today we're also expecting reaction from various groups, both nationally and locally. And we're already seeing plenty of reaction on our website from you the viewers.
Deputies say the scene of the raid was a circus. And the sheriff's department in Cache County was not notified about the raid.
Hundreds of workers from here to Minnesota were handcuffed and taken away on buses. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stands by its decision. The government says the raids came after a year-long investigation, that there's evidence of undocumented workers using stolen social security numbers to get jobs at these plants.
If the government wanted to catch people by surprise, it certainly did.
Leo Bravo, Multicultural Center of Cache Valley: "There were so many phone calls-- my sister, my father-- 'Let's go over there and find out what's going on.'"
Tony Yapias, Latino Advocate: "We have all been impacted by what happened today. I think a lot of us feel like we've been punched in the stomach and we have no room to breathe at this point."
Charges have not been filed against Swift. The meat-packing company says, "Swift has never condoned the employment of unauthorized workers, nor have we ever knowingly hired such individuals."
Reaction on KSL.com has been mixed.
Sam writes, "I am absolutely against illegals stealing the identities of USA citizens. Having said that, the people caught were actually working. They were not on the streets selling drugs."
Frank L. says, "The point is people that break the law go to jail period. If you come to this country unlawfully you get deported; it's the law!"
This one is from Leonard R.: "I find it immoral that the answer to their plight is send them back where they came from! I don't get it. If they are here to work--let them work!"
