ICE Raids Focus on Poultry Farms

The Associated Press reports on five ICE Raids this week:

Federal immigration agents raided Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plants in five states today in a crackdown on an alleged scam to provide fake identification for illegal immigrant workers.

Julie Myers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement assistant secretary, told The Associated Press that more than 100 people were expected to be arrested on criminal charges related to identity theft.

“This identity theft is a horrible problem that can ruin a person’s good name,” Myers said.

It was unclear how many more would be detained on immigration charges at the plants in Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee and West Virginia, she said. Agency spokeswoman Kelly Nantel had estimated at least 100 such administrative arrests.

Ray Atkinson, a spokesman for Pittsburg-based Pilgrim’s Pride, did not immediately return calls for comment.

Those facing criminal charges will be detained by U.S. marshals, Nantel said. ICE agents will interview others to decide whether they would be detained or released pending immigration hearings.

In Arkansas, federal agents raided a north Arkansas poultry plant over suspected immigration violations, authorities said.

Temple Black, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said the arrests were part of an ongoing criminal investigation that involved a poultry plant in Batesville, Ark. Black declined to say how many people were arrested or describe the nature of the investigation. Click here for the full story.

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