Over 1,000 illegal immigrants arrested in US
New York: Over 1,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested in the US
and authorities have charged nine current and former officers of the
firm which employed them, in violation of laws.
US Attorney Gelnn Suddaby said that the firm IFCO systems, which
manufactures crates and containers, has offices in several states.
Media reports, quoting customs officials, said the arrests were made
from some 40 locations across the country, including Albany in New
York, Houston in Texas and Cincinnati in Ohio.
The arrests come as activists were demanding legal status for the
illegal immigrants, citing their contribution to the economy. The Bush
administration is considering toughening the laws against the employers
who employ illegals.
CNN quoted a a customs official as saying federal authorities checked a
"sample" of 5,800 IFCO employee records last year and found that 53 per
cent had faulty Social Security numbers.
"They were using Social Security numbers of people that were dead, of
children or just different individuals that did not work at IFCO,"
Immigration and Customs agency chief Julie Myers told CNN.
"The Social Security Administration had written IFCO over 13 times and
told them, 'Listen, You have a problem. You have over a thousand
employees that have faulty Social Security numbers. And we consider
that to be a big problem.' And IFCO did not do anything about it,"
Myers said.
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