ICE Executes Search Warrant Targeting California Farm Labor Contractor
On June 5, 2008, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) agents executed a federal search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation targeting an Imperial Valley-area farm labor contractor, arresting two of the company’s foremen on criminal charges and another 32 employees on administrative immigration violations. The warrant was executed at the business office of the locally-owned Boss 4 Packing company, a packing business in Heber, California that provides contract workers to the farming industry in the Imperial Valley. The two arrested company foremen were charged with federal criminal charges for misusing Social Security numbers to employ illegal alien workers. The 32 illegal aliens employed by Boss 4 Packing include a group of seven women and 25 men from Mexico and Honduras. So far, 18 have been repatriated to Mexico and 12 are being held as material witnesses in the ongoing Investigation. One underage worker has been turned over to relatives. The search warrant remains under seal and the investigation is ongoing. This could very well have happened in Florida. So far in fiscal year 2008, ICE has made more than 3,700 arrests in connection with worksite enforcement investigations, including 850 involving criminal violations. In fiscal year 2007, ICE made more than 4,900 arrests in connection with worksite enforcement investigations, including 863 involving criminal violations. That represents a 45-fold increase in criminal worksite arrests compared to fiscal year 2001. In addition, ICE obtained more than $31 million in criminal fines, restitutions and civil judgments in fiscal year 2007 as a result of worksite related enforcement actions.
