Ice Raids Surge, But Few Employers Face Charges

As nan national authorities ramps up migration raids astatine worksites and its deportations of migrants domiciled successful nan U.S. illegally, nan employers who person allowed unauthorized activity are mostly not being held accountable, The Washington Post reports. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has publicized a fewer twelve of its workplace raids online.

In summation to charismatic releases, section media reported connected further raids, suggesting nan existent number is higher than ICE acknowledges.

ICE precocious increased raids successful industries that dangle connected migrant labor, including building sites successful Pennsylvania, Texas and Louisiana, to meet Trump’s deportation goals. Earlier this month, national migration agents went aft farmworkers successful Oxnard, California, and meatpacking workers astatine Glenn Valley Foods successful Omaha, Nebraska.

Few ineligible consequences for employers

According to The Washington Post, a spokesperson pinch nan Justice Department said successful a statement: “Under President Trump and Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, nan Department of Justice will enforce national migration laws and clasp bad actors accountable erstwhile they employment forbidden aliens successful usurpation of national law.”

However, almost nary business owners aliases managers are being held legally accountable for hiring unauthorized workers. The Post conducted in-depth investigative work, reviewing ineligible documents and business ownership records to corroborate whether immoderate institution owners aliases managers were charged. The Post recovered that contempt galore raids, conscionable 1 employer was charged pinch a crime.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not disclosed really galore raids person resulted successful employer charges. In April, ICE reported much than 1,000 arrests of migrants domiciled successful nan U.S. illegally and projected complete $1 cardinal successful fines against businesses during Trump’s first 100 days successful nan White House, The Post reports.

Only 1 employer charged, truthful far

John Washburn, a institution head of San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings successful El Cajon, California, was charged pinch knowingly employing migrant workers who reside successful nan state illegally. Washburn pleaded guilty, and nan DOJ stated that he received 1 twelvemonth of probation and was required to complete 50 hours of organization service. He did not person jailhouse time.

Chad Hartmann, nan head of Glenn Valley Foods successful Nebraska, will not look charges aft national migration agents arrested 76 of his workers. According to ICE, an investigation recovered that astir 70 migrant workers who unrecorded successful nan U.S. illegally astatine nan installation were utilizing stolen identities and Social Security numbers to get jobs and benefits. Hartmann said he believed he was hiring group authorized to activity successful nan U.S.

As a result, complete 100 existent group had their identities misused, causing them superior financial, affectional and ineligible harm, according to an ICE property release.

It’s different for business owners to beryllium prosecuted for hiring migrant workers who reside successful nan state illegally. To complaint someone, prosecutors must beryllium nan employer knowingly hired personification without ineligible activity authorization. Proving what an employer knew successful tribunal tin beryllium difficult and time-consuming.