Officials Say Arrest of Illegal Aliens at Wal-Mart DC Construction Site Should Serve as a Warning to Other Companies

Dec. 1, 2005
Federal officials said the arrest of 125 workers at a construction site for a new Wal-Mart distribution center in mid-November,should serve as a warning

Federal officials said the arrest of 125 workers at a construction site for a new Wal-Mart distribution center in mid-November,should serve as a warning to employers who hire illegal immigrants. All 125 workers arrested in the raid of the site about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia will be deported said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials.

"Employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens, and those who utilize false documents to gain employment, face significant criminal and administrative charges," said John Kelleghan, acting special agent-in-charge for the immigration agency in Pennsylvania.

Some of the 125 workers, who are from Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, used fake documents to obtain employment with subcontractors, officials said.

Agents obtained search warrants after learning that 10 workers were using Social Security numbers that did not match their names. Another three used Social Security numbers that were never issued by the government.

A Wal-Mart spokesman has said the detained workers were not employed by Wal-Mart but by the subcontractors. Wal-Mart's contracts with the companies require that they follow local, state and federal employment laws, the company said.