ICE agents made a massive raid on a single enterprise, arresting 97 illegal immigrants

Federal agents arrested 97 immigrants at a meat processing plant in Tennessee, which was the largest exposure in the workplace in a decade, and a sign that the Trump administration is implementing its plan to strengthen immigration control this year.

Photo: twitter / ICE @ ICEgov

Ten people were arrested on federal immigration charges, one was arrested on state charges, and 86 immigrants were detained for illegal stay in the country, said immigration and customs spokesman Tammy Spicer on Friday. All those arrested are suspected of illegally staying in the country, she said. According to immigration supporters, most of them were from Mexico.

ICE raid agents in Tennessee follow arrests at 7-Eleven stores and other workplaces across the country. Last year, the country's chief immigration official said that he ordered agents to increase the number of inspections and operations in the workplace "four or five times."

The National Center for Immigration Law and other immigrant lawyers said the raid in Tennessee was the biggest after the George W. Bush administration.

“People are panicking,” said Stephanie Teatro, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. — People are afraid to drive. People are afraid to leave their houses."

Of the 86 immigrants arrested on civil immigration charges, ICE released 32, but did not explain why. The rest of the 54 were detained, but the agency did not provide their names and did not indicate where they are being held.

Immigration arrests began when authorities issued a federal warrant for a criminal search at a slaughterhouse outside of Knoxville in northeast Tennessee.

Federal agents launched an investigation into the company several months ago after employees Citizens Bank noticed that Southeastern Provision withdraws large amounts of cash every week - more than $25 million since 2008. The plant was suspected of hiring undocumented workers who were paid in cash to work under harsh conditions, including working overtime and handling bleach and other chemicals without safety glasses.

A federal official said that company executives were not charged on Friday, and investigators received a search warrant to collect evidence.

After Donald Trump became president, immigration arrests increased by more than 40%, and the number of deportations increased by 34%.

In January, ICE raided stores 7-Eleven in 17 states, including California, Maryland, Michigan and New York. Agents visited 98 stores 7-Eleven to interview employees and provide audit notices, as a result of which an 21 person was arrested. At the time, agency officials said it was the largest operation targeted at employers during President Trump’s stay.

Last year, ICE conducted 1360 employee checks and arrested more than 300 people for alleged violations of criminal and civil immigration. According to the agency, enterprises were ordered to pay $ 97,6 million in the form of confiscation and fines.

In 2017, the state of Tennessee demanded that all employers check for new employees through E-verify, a federal program that verifies that they can work in the United States.

Immigrant lawyers called on Congress to conduct a review of immigration law, stating that immigrants are doing work that Americans will not do.

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