Feds raid 7 fast-food restaurants in NCCo
26 of 27 unauthorized workers from Mexico
August 30, 2008
By SUMMER HARLOW and SEAN O'SULLIVAN
The News Journal (Delaware)
Immigration authorities have targeted seven Burger King restaurants in New Castle County for routinely hiring undocumented workers, according to a federal search warrant unsealed this week.
The search warrant, signed Aug. 8, indicates a magistrate judge found probable cause "for evidence of violations of immigration laws by illegal aliens" at seven franchise locations across the county.
Twenty-seven unauthorized workers, 26 from Mexico and one from El Salvador, were arrested
Aug. 13, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Mike Gilhooly said. Seven men and seven women were detained, while 13 women were released for humanitarian reasons, such as being the sole caregiver for a relative, or health reasons. None of those arrested had a prior criminal record and only one had previously been deported, Gilhooly said, adding no other details about those arrested was available.
A total of 78 employees -- between eight and 18 per location -- suspected of illegally working at the restaurants were identified in the search warrant filed in U.S. District Court in Wilmington.
The investigation is ongoing, Gilhooly said.
All seven restaurants were owned by the same franchise, according to the documents. Investigators targeted the business because it is part of a "high risk industry" for violating employment laws and has been "the subject of prior leads."
According to court papers, a December review of a sample of work papers on file for employees at the franchise revealed 64 percent of the forms had alien registration numbers that had expired, didn't match the employees' names or never were issued by ICE.
Because of the unusually high percentage, more of the franchise's employee forms were checked and more problems were discovered.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080830/NEWS/808300349
