06/27/06 Feds Target Employers with Illegals

Feds Targeting Employers with Illegals. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expanding its efforts to target employers of illegal aliens, which could have negative consequences for farmers and their workers. Seven current and former managers of IFCO, a Houston based pallet services company, were arrested and charged with conspiring to transport, harbor and encourage illegal aliens to reside in the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. The charges carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each alien involved. Two other IFCO employees were arrested on criminal charges relating to fraudulent documents, according to DHS. On April 20, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Julie Myers, assistant secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), unveiled a comprehensive enforcement strategy to reduce illegal immigration. The new enforcement strategy is part of a multi-year plan to secure America's borders and reduce illegal immigration. The primary objectives are to reverse the tolerance of illegal employment and illegal immigration in the United States. The immigration issue remains a stalemate in Congress, however, despite a recent attempt at a compromise. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.