Feds arrest 56 workers at 11 McDonald's

Reno Gazette-Journal (Nev.) : September 27 , 2007 -- by Geralda Miller (found on NumbersUSA website)

Federal agents today arrested 56 employees suspected of being undocumented workers at 11 McDonald's restaurants, prompting Hispanic community activists to call for a statewide work boycott today. "Boycott on who?"


Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were interviewing 12 men and 44 women from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador to determine if criminal charges would be filed, agency spokesman Michael Keegan said.


"They were arrested for immigration violations," he said. "Some of them may be deported under different types of deportations."


The restaurants in Reno, Sparks and Fernley and the franchise corporate office were raided with search warrants. Keegan said a tip from local police after an identity theft complaint triggered the federal agency's five-month investigation.


About 8 p.m., about a hundred picketers were outside Washoe County Jail protesting the arrests.


Reno businessman Gilbert Cortez called for demonstrations and a monthlong boycott by workers at an afternoon news conference..


"We do not approve of the gestapo methods of (ICE)," he said. "The reason that we're having this problem is because you politicians do not have the gall to take care of this problem. You want our sweat but you don't want us over here. Someone needs to explain to these invaders how the system really works!


"We will be in front of the governor's mansion, asking for some kind of program, some kind of legalization."


Reno Mayor Bob Cashell said he hoped a work action wouldn't happen.


"If everybody happens to walk out the way I'm hearing, and I hope they don't do it, this town would be very stymied," he said. "I can't sit by and watch that. We have too great a community, too many good citizens to allow something like that to happen."


Marta Aguillar of Reno said she saw ICE agents gathering workers inside the McDonald's at Shopper's Square at Plumb Lane and Virginia Street, where 11 workers were arrested.


"I'm concerned about the situation," she said. "I just wanted to see for my own eyes why the Hispanic community only. Because Hispanics are here illegally?? DUH! It's sad. The United States is not united any more." At least she got that right! It certainly isn't the USA, anymore. But that's going to change!


Crystal McCay took pictures with a digital camera.


"I've been waiting for this for a long time," said the mother of three teenagers. "They don't need to be hiring illegals and Luther Mack knows that. I know he owns this one. I know he owns a lot of them." Maybe this is a job that Americans will do. Perhaps her teenagers weren't able to get a job at McDonalds because Mack hired "slave" labor instead?


Mack has a business license for five McDonald's restaurants in Reno, including the one in Shopper's Square where a handwritten note on a door said the restaurant was closed.


"As an employer, I do not knowingly hire or employ undocumented or unauthorized workers," Mack said in a statement.


"Our current job application process and employee verification record both requires all individuals seeking or accepting employment to ... provide appropriate documentation," he said. Well, obviously they didn't have appropriate documentation.


Lisa Howard, a spokeswoman for McDonald's Corp. in Oak Brook, Ill., said the company had no comment on the arrests. As long as the money keeps pouring in, McDonald's couldn't care less what they do.


"This is a local situation with a local operator," she said. I would think the head of the company should take some responsibility. If their stores were grinding rats into the hamburger meat to stretch the profits, would that be a 'local situation', too?


Keegan said the agents look for possession of fraudulent documents, stolen identities and whether the suspects were in sensitive places, such as airports.


"We consider that an important risk," he said.


Those arrested could be deported on existing documents, accept a stipulated order of removal rather than go through immigration procedures or fight deportation in immigration court, Keegan said.


The raid could bring scrutiny on McDonald's, immigration lawyer Roger Tsai said.


"What ICE is going to be looking for is good faith compliance," he said. "Compliance to the Immigration Reform and Control Act."


Tsai, a Salt Lake City lawyer, said he spoke to a large group at a Reno Chamber of Commerce meeting about immigrants and employer liabilities.


"Employers are in a tough spot," he said. "They can't be document experts. They can't read minds and always detect fraud." Looks like this might be a good time to learn.

The federal law imposes fines of up to $11,000 per employee and prison terms of five to 10 years. This might be a good incentive to learn. Think??


Tsai said ICE has been pursuing criminal penalties recently, "because the civil fines have not been working." he said.


Last year, ICE arrested 668 employers and employees in work-site raids, Tsai said. The Bush administration authorized $40 million additional dollars for work-site enforcement, he said.


"That (arrests) has quadrupled since 2005, and it will continue to go up," he said.


The raids would not have happened if Congress would have addressed the issue, said Leslie Mix, one of the coordinators of the Thursday news conference in front of the Bruce R. Thompson federal building. Congress DID address the issue. Their constituents (you know, the people that elected them to office) told them what to do. Obviously, it was not what YOU wanted them to do.


"And the issue has not been resolved and is not fair to the people in our community," she said. It will be resolved, but it may not be to YOUR liking.


Richard Siegel, president of the Americal Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, agreed. That's the organization formed to destroy the Constitution and to fight the will of the American people.


"The Congress had the chance to deal with this issue comprehensively," he said. "And now the only thing we get from the federal government is punitive." Congress didn't have the say, Mr. Siegel. It's the PEOPLE. You know, "We, the people"?? Remember??


The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada asked federal officials Thursday to stop the immigration enforcement raids on Reno-area businesses because of the impact on area families.


"This is what we have feared all along from the politically driven enforcement threats," said Bob Fulkerson, PLAN executive director. "Innocent children are suffering as a result of these raids. We call for an immediate time out on these raids."

This is a country of laws, Mr. Fulkerson. Americans citizens do abide by the law. We follow the rule of law. That means we do things legally and orderly.

It is not politically driven. It was demanded by the constituents of the Senate that illegal aliens be removed from our country.

As long as the law is obeyed, your friends should not have fear of any action against them. But if the law IS broken, there are consequences. Take that into consideration before you advise your following to break the law. Perhaps if YOU would have more respect for the laws of the lands instead of insisting and telling your friends that they were entitled to break the law, this wouldn't have happened. You need to warn them that they can expect to be arrested and deported if they are here illegally. Actually, perhaps YOU should be the first one arrested and fined for your ill advice. (Hmmm...something to work on!)