119 illegal aliens arrested at poultry plant!

[__Kratos__]

Immigration officials announced Wednesday that federal agents had arrested 119 illegal aliens employed at a poultry-processing plant in Clark County as part of a continuing investigation into the marketing and use of stolen identification records.

Officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rounded up the workers Tuesday at the Petit Jean Poultry Inc. deboning plant in Gum Springs, just south of Arkadelphia.

“Yesterday’s operation stemmed from an ICE investigation into the sale of U.S. citizen birth certificates and Social Security cards that culminated in the December 2004 arrest of a former Petit Jean employee,” according to a news release issued Wednesday by the agency’s regional office in New Orleans.

Bill Cromwell, chief assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas at Fort Smith, identified the former employee as Maria Moreno, 53, of Arkadelphia.

“She claims to be a U.S. citizen, but that is disputed by immigration officials,” Cromwell said Wednesday in a telephone interview from his office.

Ronnie Farnam, manager of the poultry plant, said Moreno worked in the personnel office for at least 10 years before she left Petit Jean Poultry in 2003.

He said he and his employer had no knowledge that any of the arrested workers had used illegal documents to gain employment. Noting that the documents were legitimate and belonged to real people, he added, “I don’t know how any company could guard against that."…

… The Danville-based company is among the top 40 manufacturers in Arkansas and has plants in Danville and Gum Springs. It also has a plant in Buffalo, Mo. The company did $113.4 million in sales in the year ending Dec. 31, according to Gale Group, an Internet investment service.

Moreno pleaded guilty Feb. 14 in U.S. District Court at Hot Springs to one count of selling five or more identification documents, one count of possessing another person’s Social Security card, and one count of possessing a Social Security card with intent to sell. She awaits sentencing.

Cromwell said Moreno has not cooperated with government officials.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement news release dated Feb. 23 said agents arrested Moreno after informants purchased five sets of “genuine U.S. birth certificates and matching Social Security cards for $780 per set.”

In addition, agents seized $12,815 from the woman’s house and $47,450 from a bank safe-deposit box.

“The money was seized as suspected proceeds of Moreno’s unlawful activities,” the release stated.

Carl Rusnok, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman in the agency’s Dallas office, said Wednesday that he did not know how many of the Petit Jean Poultry employees possessed stolen identification or how many, if any, had received the documents from Moreno.

Rusnok said some of the workers arrested Tuesday had already been sent back to Mexico, while others were placed in local jails and in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility at Texarkana.

Of the 119 arrested, 115 were from Mexico, two were from Honduras and one each was from El Salvador and Guatemala. Sixty-nine were women, including a 14-year-old girl.

Rusnok said Tuesday’s arrests in Clark County were the most “in recent memory” in Arkansas. He also noted that the investigation was continuing, and more arrests were possible…

… Though not speaking directly about Moreno’s activities, Cromwell said most cases his office has dealt with involved documents stolen from residents of California and Texas. Rarely has an Arkansas resident been victimized in such a scheme, he said.

However, an agency spokesman in the Texarkana office, Craig Griffin, said in the Feb. 23 release: “Illegal aliens are increasingly using stolen U.S. citizen identities in this area of [southwest] Arkansas. They now want to buy genuine U.S. birth certificates and Social Security cards from document vendors like Moreno and are then able to apply for genuine driver’s licenses and identification cards.”

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported May 29 that the FBI and Arkansas State Police officials were investigating separate instances where hundreds of state-issued licenses and identification cards had gone to people who may have misrepresented themselves with false documentation.

“We’ve been aware for some time that Arkansas is a particularly vulnerable state for obtaining driver’s licenses,” Bud Cummins, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas at Little Rock, said at that time.

Source

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¡Véale más tarde, criminales! (See you later, criminals!)

[Mekorig]

Kratos, i still can understand your fear/hatred/simple misunderstanding of illegal inmigrants. There are far worse criminals in the USa to worry about.

[__Kratos__]

Kratos, i still can understand your fear/hatred/simple misunderstanding of illegal inmigrants. There are far worse criminals in the USa to worry about.

Yeah, all thieves should just be ignored because there are much worse criminals out there. Yes, people stealing ID's of good citizens should be ignored... yes, working illegally is no big deal... yes, we shouldn't worry about the smaller crimes because once they all add up they equal nothing...

They are the problem, and the problem should be taken care of, in anyway possible. I can think of a lot of other ways to spend that money going to them. Schools, for our children's futures. Community funds for those in need. The list can go on for a really long time. I'm sure you get the idea.

Edited July 28, 2005 by __Kratos__

[Mekorig]

INstead of persecuting them like animals, why not seeing in incorporating them to your society. If they are in the USA working, is for a reason...the USA needs them. Instead of putting harder inmigration laws, try to make the integration of inmigrants more easy and controlable.

The "theyare staling our jobs" is a very old escuse. Has i said, if they are working, is because they work cheaper, and maybe better than a USA native. Many bussinesmans use the illegal status of these people to their own gain. Get a better and more human law in this issue,a nd the illegal inmigration level will decresse. The "we hunt the illegall criminal scum" tactic of persecuting them and creatin paramilitar groups will not work.

[__Kratos__]

Our society tends to look down on crime.

Illegal aliens are indeed stealing our jobs. They drive down the common citizen that is looking for a decent job.

Yes, Businessman like to use illegal workers. They tell, they get deported. Simple as that... the unspoken blackmail.

So, if they work harder then the common citizen they must be alright? What the hell kind of logic is that?

The laws in place now are simple and easy. The cost to get in may seem steep to the common illegal (I'm going to go on Mexico on this one, since nearly all of them were from Mexico). But they are not the only people in the world looking to make America home. If we lower the cost, there would be a flood exceeding out limits. If we keep the price the same, they will just try and come in illegal because they can't respect the laws. If they can't be trusted to respect that law, what is to stop them from disrespecting all laws?

Criminals don't make society better, they tend to make them WORSE!

There are no paramilitary groups hunting down illegals like dogs. There ARE groups of CONCERNED TAX PAYING CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA reporting illegal activity like good citizens. Community service is not wrong.

[Ashley-Star*Child]

Illegal immigrants are breaking the law, and should be treated no different to other criminals. If you want citizenship, go up, like everybody else and apply for it.

Here, an 'asylum seeker' was disturbed because of all the 'terrible things happening in the detention centre' that they were awarded citizenship, a house, and a million dollar payout. Did they deserve it? No, they shouldn't have been here in the first place.

Edited July 28, 2005 by Ashley-Star*Child

[Fluffybunny]

Mekorig, it is not as simple as you would like to think it is. The MILLIONS of illegal aliens in this country are overwhelming many areas and as most cannot get jobs(Not only due to the fact that they are illegal, but that fact that the job market does not have the flexibility to accomodate that many workers in that job skill level.) there are severe problems with crime.

Giving all of them citizenship will not resolve the problem. As we have done in the past several times, giving citizenship to huge numbers of illegal aliens leads to a great deal of problems the biggest being the burden on the social systems that we have in place.

Of course the US needs immigrants, that is why we do have immigration laws in place to allow enough numbers into the country each year legally, as well as giving temporary work status in the spring and summer seasons for field workers, at which point they are supposed to head back to their country of origin. From firsthand experience I can tell you thet EVERY fall in this area after the farm season is over leads to extreme increases in crime. The only jobs that illegals qualify for in the area is farming and is very seasonal and once the season is over many hundreds try to stay in thwe area. It works OK until a few weeks later when their money runs out, at which point burglary goes through the roof.

It never changes. It never gets better. There are very few jobs for folks that cannot speak english and have very little education; it just isn't there for them to get even if they were made legal.

We have granfathered millions of illegals into our society, and it has always gone poorly; the reason that it is not done anymore. I do not like the idea of people coming into this county and going into the social services programs to get welfare each month and to continue to do so for years on end. I pay a great deal of taxes every year and I do not like to see that waste of my money(Not yours; you do not have the involvement that I do).

We allow millions of illegals every year to come into our country with work visas to work the farm communities until the work is gone; during that time they work hard and are payed well(More than I can make as a firefighter actually, silly as that may be). That is a benefit to them. When I was in high school I(And many others) were more than willing to work the fields picking strawberries, but could not as the mexican immagrants would not allow it and going against the unspoken laws would get your butt kicked on a regular basis.

We do enough for the folks to the south...

[SnakeProphet]

It's their country....I don't see why they shouldn't do it.

[JayRob303]

I tend to agree with Kratos and Ashley. They are breaking the law, and there is a system in place to assist anyone wanting citizenship, as long as it doesn't cause hardship on current citizens, such as "they're takin' our jobs".

[__Kratos__]

Sheriff angered that he wasn't notified about raid at local chicken plant

Get bent.

There were other works that refused to come to work after the raids... more illegals to be rounded up and set back? More then likely... disgusting criminals...

[NJC]

most immigrants came from mexico but you shouldn't treat immigrants badly in thier own country they are suffering from racism and torture

[__Kratos__]

most immigrants came from mexico but you shouldn't treat immigrants  badly in thier own country they are suffering from racism and torture

761771[/snapback]

Immigrants I treat very nicely indeed. It is the illegal ones I have a deep set hatred for.

[NJC]

yes the illegel ones some of them are bad and some of them are good but i just treat the illegel ones nuetral but if their bad i surly call the police

[__Kratos__]

yes the illegel ones some of them are bad and some of them are good but i just treat the illegel ones nuetral but if their bad   i surly call the police

761796[/snapback]

Illegals = enemy. It really is as simple as that.

Hell, I call the police if I see them. Last month I called the cops on 3 hispanic men for having a ford pick up work truck with 2 different plates and different stickers. Looks wrong to me... I'd rather report some filth then turn the other cheek.

[arben]

30 Kids Left Behind After Immigration Raid

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. - About 30 children, some as young as 3 months old, were left without their parents after immigration agents raided a poultry plant and took the parents away to face possible deportation.

While some of the arrested workers were able to call and arrange care for their children, others were not and a local church had to help make arrangements.

The mayor said what happened to the children was a shame.

"A lot of those families had kids in day care in different places, and they didn't know why Mommy and Daddy didn't come pick them up," Arkadelphia Mayor Charles Hollingshead said.

Federal agents arrested 119 people Tuesday in a raid that was triggered after a former worker at Petit Jean Poultry said she supplied others with fake identification cards. Authorities said 115 were from Mexico, two were from Honduras and the others were from

El Salvador and Guatemala.

Temple Black, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in New Orleans, said Friday that each person arrested was asked whether they had children and they all said they did not.

"We interviewed every person and asked that specific question, and we were told that there were none," he said.

Black later said that some of those arrested told agents that their children were with relatives. Children are normally placed with relatives until their parents are either returned to the community or deported.

Jose Luis Vidal said his sister and brother-in-law left behind children aged 10, 5 and 1 as they were deported to Laredo, Mexico.

"The children are very sad, especially the baby. She cries all the time," Vidal said in an interview conducted in Spanish.

His sister is trying to arrange a work permit to return to the United States, but is not sure of her prospects.

Clark County Sheriff Troy Tucker said agents failed to tell his agency about the raid. If they had, deputies would have made sure the immigration officials knew about the children, some of whom had been in the local public schools for years, he said.

"The kids were just left," Tucker said. "They're not doing their job by simply questioning them and asking them whether they have children and not contacting anyone locally."

Some of the workers agreed to deportation and others have challenged their arrests. Those fighting deportation were released pending hearings and some have returned to Arkadelphia.

Source

[__Kratos__]

"The kids were just left," Tucker said. "They're not doing their job by simply questioning them and asking them whether they have children and not contacting anyone locally."

Some of the workers agreed to deportation and others have challenged their arrests. Those fighting deportation were released pending hearings and some have returned to Arkadelphia.

Well, left with people would be more then ok. They are still with an adult.

If the illegal aliens where bad parents and left the kids at home, THAT IS THERE OWN FAULT!

There is nothing to this story but trying to give these criminals PITY! DISGUSTING! They are here illegally and they should face the music.

[Mekorig]

Illegals = enemy. It really is as simple as that.

Kratos, you are beginning to worry me......i hear that song before, and it wasnt nice.

[__Kratos__]

Illegals = enemy. It really is as simple as that.

Kratos, you are beginning to worry me......i hear that song before, and it wasnt nice.

762917[/snapback]

Yep, still playing the same tune. Probably went a little farther in now... still holding true to my dislike/hate for all illegal aliens.

American's open you eyes and do some internet searches and make sure you have a vomit bag next to you for when you read the numbers and horrible crimes illegals aliens have done.

[__Kratos__]

Deportees Return After Raid

Build a wall to protect our citizens from filth! Man that wall with our armed forces!

Shoot to kill! They want to come here to America... steal from honest working family's and put them through hard times they can DIE!

We as America needs to start doing sweeps of these filth that crawl in our streets... deport them all back... man our borders... they are costing us billions of dollars yearly because of their crime... those billions of dollars could go to honest, hard working families that actually deserve it.

[Mekorig]

Has i said Kratos...soo much hate, soo much venon...you started to sound like other songs i heard before, and that songs didnt bring any good.

[sanchera1978]

Kratos,

Illegal immigration is a big problem in the U.S. But such hatred towards them is wrong. Yes they are the ones taking jobs and making it more difficult for the american citizens./ But they are only trying to make a better life for themselves. Same thing the europeans did when they first came to america. I understand your frustration but illegals dont control this country your government does. They allow this to happen. Get mad at them. They know its a problem but they could care less it doesnt affect the rich so they allow this to continue. If it wasnt so easy to get into this country and work illegally people wouldnt be doing it. Wishing someone dead simply becuase they dont have a green card and are here illegally isnt right. Be careful what you wish for too becuase it may come back to you instead.

[__Kratos__]

But such hatred towards them is wrong.

I hate a lot of criminals that bring society down... murderers... rapists... child preditors...

But they are only trying to make a better life for themselves.

If I go and rob a bank to better my life, is it still wrong?

I understand your frustration but illegals dont control this country your government does.  They allow this to happen. Get mad at them.

Thats what the beauty of writing them is, I am mad at them. But I will not forget the other half.

Wishing someone dead simply becuase they dont have a green card and are here illegally isnt right.  Be careful what you wish for too becuase it may come back to you instead.

Sure, it is. Just look at MS-13 (illegal immigrant gang) and all their acts and tell me you wouldn't want them dead for unspeakable crimes.

[sanchera1978]

Murder and rape yes those are unspeakable crimes. Working here illegally isnt an unspeakable crime. More along the lines of shoplifting. You would wish someone dead for shoplifting!!!

[__Kratos__]

Murder and rape yes those are unspeakable crimes. Working here illegally isnt an unspeakable crime. More along the lines of shoplifting.  You would wish someone dead for shoplifting!!!

794315[/snapback]

Shoplifting billions of tax payers dollars because you can't obey simple laws. Hell... how would that look working at mcd's and at the end of your shift you were short 10.4 billion dollars? (10.4 billion dollars in CA alone were spent on illegals in 2004)

^ heh, that is a joke... but seriously this is way out of control. I do wish them dead only for making so many of my fellow citizens suffer through their crime. Bullcrap if you ask me... they want a better life, let them fight their own goverment. They are to me nothing more then the slime from the bottom of my shoe. I tend to hate people that hurt my fellow citizens and their way of life. The quickest way would be to shoot them at the border for trying to enter illegally this country. It is basically a war... just no country to fight only people... like the terrorists that want to ruin our way of life... they can set off a bomb to kill a couple dozen people cost use millions while these filth come into our country and leech off of it. Time to kill the leech and move on.

Edited August 17, 2005 by __Kratos__

[sanchera1978]

its really too bad the natives were nice to the europeans it would have kept hate mongering people like you out of this country. Would you rather have the mexican people take up arms and take back the land that was stolen from them..

People like you make me sick... I really hope that the hate you spew out comes back on you 10 fold. With any luck you may not have to worry about illegals aliens anymore. It must really suck to live in the state where hispanics are actually the majority huh!!