Tally of those arrested in immigration raids at Pilgrim's Pride plants climbs to 311
12:00 AM CDT on Friday, April 18, 2008
The tally of those arrested at Pilgrim's Pride poultry plants on various immigration-related offenses climbed Thursday to 311.
Workers at Pilgrim's Pride, one of the world's largest poultry processors, have been the target of a criminal investigation into identity theft for at least a year, and Wednesday, workers employed at five plants, including Mount Pleasant operations, were arrested by federal immigration agents.
Certain workers at the Mount Pleasant plant are believed to be key organizers in an identity theft ring, federal prosecutors and agents said.
False use of an authentic Social Security number is a felony – and growing in prevalence among illegal immigrants searching for ways to avoid detection.
But the tally, released Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, showed that slightly less than a third of the arrested workers had been charged with criminal violations. Federal officials said Wednesday that charges could be made more severe.
The remaining Pilgrim's Pride employees are being processed for removal from the U.S., on administrative violations of immigration law.
All 46 workers arrested in Mount Pleasant faced criminal charges. But Thursday afternoon, two workers were released and motions to dismiss the criminal indictments were dropped, said Arnold Spencer, a U.S. assistant attorney involved in the investigation. In one case, one worker was a legal permanent resident; Mr. Spencer would not comment on the immigration status or citizenship of the second worker.
Arrests in Mount Pleasant could climb. "We have a significant number of people who are now fugitives and were indicted," Mr. Spencer said.
Another two dozen workers were arrested last December, after an investigation that began a year ago and involved undercover agents
School district officials in Mount Pleasant said the arrests have rattled their schools.
Missy Walley, principal of Chapel Hill Elementary in the Chapel Hill Independent School District, said she had 16 upset students in her office Thursday morning. Two of them had parents who had been arrested.
"We had one whose daddy was taken last night and one whose mother was taken," she said. "They were pretty much hysterical."
Ms. Walley said she heard students crying in the bathroom on her morning rounds through the hallway.
Some students were worried that immigration agents would pick up students at the school. Parents called the district to make sure their children were OK.
A Chapel Hill district employee visited the home of at least one student who did not report to school and found nobody home. A neighbor indicated that federal agents had been to the home.
At Mount Pleasant Independent School District, counselors were also on hand to talk to students.
"All of our students and campuses are impacted because Pilgrim's is the number one employer," said Judith Saxton, public information officer for the Mount Pleasant district.
Ms. Walley said she was struck by the number of children who showed support for those visibly shaken.
"It was not just our Hispanic children who were upset," she said. "It was all the children. It affected the whole school."
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