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Posted by: USMCTrooper

Sweep nets 13 foreign workers
Fear grips city's immigrants after Feds raid fish factories
By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer

NEW BEDFORD -- Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard swooped down on the New Bedford waterfront yesterday, arresting 13 people and sending a shiver of fear through the city's community of undocumented workers.
A spokeswoman for ICE, Paula Grenier, said early morning raids netted "out-of-status aliens" who were working in several fish processing plants, including AML International on Conway Street. The workers arrested were from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.
Ms. Grenier could not confirm where they were being held, but said ICE has a contract to hold prisoners at the Bristol, Suffolk and Plymouth County houses of correction. A spokesman for Bristol County House of Correction in Dartmouth said the facility had not received any of the arrested workers.
The processing plants where undocumented workers were found face fines or civil penalties, if they are enforced. The undocumented workers themselves, charged with violating immigration law, face almost certain jail time and possible deportation.
Eight of those arrested yesterday worked at AML International, a fish processing plant in the city's South Terminal waterfront.
"All these people want to do is work," said Frank Ferreira, plant manager for AML International. His plant emptied out after the raid, and many legal workers who have documentation have left work and not returned.
"Even the people who didn't get arrested, they're scared," he said. After the ICE agents left, his workplace emptied out. "All of these businesses down here, everybody just left. We're just sitting here with nobody."
The effect of the sweep went far beyond those arrested, said Ondine Glavez Sniffen, an immigrant law attorney with Catholic Social Services.
"They may have only caught 13, but the impact was community wide for legal and illegal immigrants," said Ms. Sniffen. She said received several calls from clients wondering how the sweep might affect them. "People were panicking. They were scared," she said.
Word of the immigration arrests spread quickly through the city's Central American community. A number of other fish processing plants saw their facilities empty out soon after the raid, and many employees on second shifts did not report to work.
At a factory across the city that is completely unrelated to fishing, 34-year-old Sabino (not his real name), from Guatemala, said he and his co-workers started receiving calls on their cell phones from friends and family on the waterfront.
The Standard-Times is using a pseudonym for Sabino and other undocumented workers who agreed to speak to protect them from repercussions from their employers or from ICE.
"They were telling us that immigration was coming into the companies," said Sabino. He said he tried to convince them to stay, that there was no danger. But in the end, 50 to 60 workers left their jobs in the middle of their shift.
"So many people have called me and asked if they should go back to work," said Anibal Lucas, director of Organacion Maya Kiche, a Guatemalan cultural group in the city. "Nobody wants to go back to work in the fish houses. Who wants to go back to work? It's bad."
Byron, 24, came to the U.S. from Guatemala six months ago. He works in construction, and sends $400 of his $500 weekly paycheck to his wife and two children back home.
"I am really concerned, because of my immigration situation," said Byron, which is not his real name. "I didn't do anything, but immigration is acting as if I am a bad person. People are wanting to go back to work, but there is a lot of fear."
Byron, who said one of his friends was arrested in the sweep but quickly released, wondered, "Why are they going to the companies to pick up people who are working? Why aren't they looking for people who are doing bad things on the street?"
The move comes the week after the Bush administration toured states along the U-S.-Mexican border and announced a new initiative to crack down on illegal immigration.
Ms. Sniffen, the immigration attorney, said she thought the raids show a need for a reform of the country's immigration laws.
"Businesses need these workers," she said. "I think this indicates we need some sort of immigration law reform nationwide."
Several other seafood processing plants along the South Terminal waterfront were visited by ICE agents this morning. The first visit was to the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction, according to co-owner Richard Canastra, and then agents spread out and visited workplaces all along the South Terminal waterfront.
Historically, the waterfront has a terrible time trying to find enough people to do the hard, dirty work of slicing open fish and shucking scallops while standing on concrete floors for eight hours at a time.
"We could put out 'help wanted' signs 24/7," said Mr. Ferreira, of AML International. "It's very seasonal, like farming. Sometimes we've got a ton of work, and sometimes it's slow."
Walter Barrett, general manager for Seatrade International, another fish processing plant, said the immigrants take jobs that no one else wants.
"It's very difficult to find 'Americans' to work in the fishing industry," Mr. Barrett said. "If the government is going to continue with this, it is going to cost the fishing industry millions of dollars."
Mr. Ferreira of AML said many of the workers who were arrested came from a Rhode Island employment agency called S&S Staffing. A representative of that company refused to comment.
Some other workers found their jobs at the fish plants through EDA Staffing, a Framingham-based agency with a New Bedford office, located on Herman Melville Boulevard.
Liberal Melo, who runs the New Bedford office, said as long as an applicant supplies a Social Security card, EDA Staffing will find him a job.
"We give them an application to fill out and we send them to work," he said. "We assume they are legal immigrants. I have nothing to hide." PUHLEEZ!
Mr. Melo said EDA Staffing pays the workers it sends to the fish plants and deducts Social Security payments from their paychecks.
"We pay everybody by check," he said. "We don't pay in cash or anything."
Advocates for the immigrant community wondered about what the raid was supposed to accomplish.
Corrin Williams, director of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern Massachusetts, works with many Guatemalan and Salvadorean immigrants.
"It's a terrible situation we're in right now, with Homeland Security pursuing an enforcement strategy against decent, hard-working people who are contributing to the community," she said. "A lot of people will just stay at home and stay out of work. The timing couldn't be worse."
Standard-Times staff writer Rob Margetta contributed to this report.

With a name like "liberal" its no wonder he's so ignorant he needs classes to be gullible

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Posted by: JoninNH

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Sweep nets 13 foreign workers Fear grips city's immigrants after Feds raid fish factories By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer

Sounds good.

Quote:

NEW BEDFORD -- Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard swooped down on the New Bedford waterfront yesterday, arresting 13 people and sending a shiver of fear through the city's community of undocumented workers.

A little fear among the illegals is a good thing.

Quote:

A spokeswoman for ICE, Paula Grenier, said early morning raids netted "out-of-status aliens" who were working in several fish processing plants, including AML International on Conway Street. The workers arrested were from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

I'm glad to see ICE is picking up the ball on "out-of-status aliens" AKA illegals.

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The processing plants where undocumented workers were found face fines or civil penalties, if they are enforced.

That's where I would focus. If businesses were held more accountable for violating the Immigration Reform Act, then they would be less likely to violate the law again!

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The undocumented workers themselves, charged with violating immigration law, face almost certain jail time and possible deportation.

They were here illegally, deport them all. Unfortunately, its a long lengthly road...

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"All these people want to do is work," said Frank Ferreira, plant manager for AML International. His plant emptied out after the raid, and many legal workers who have documentation have left work and not returned.

If they want to come to the US to work, thats fine. Let them do it legitimately. Legal workers with documentation? You mean false documentation?

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"Even the people who didn't get arrested, they're scared," he said. After the ICE agents left, his workplace emptied out. "All of these businesses down here, everybody just left. We're just sitting here with nobody."

Imagine if you hired American citizens who are able and willing to work... you'd be sititng there with a plant full of productive employees.

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The effect of the sweep went far beyond those arrested, said Ondine Glavez Sniffen, an immigrant law attorney with Catholic Social Services. "They may have only caught 13, but the impact was community wide for legal and illegal immigrants," said Ms. Sniffen. She said received several calls from clients wondering how the sweep might affect them. "People were panicking. They were scared," she said.

That charity is now off my donation list.

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Word of the immigration arrests spread quickly through the city's Central American community. A number of other fish processing plants saw their facilities empty out soon after the raid, and many employees on second shifts did not report to work. At a factory across the city that is completely unrelated to fishing, 34-year-old Sabino (not his real name), from Guatemala, said he and his co-workers started receiving calls on their cell phones from friends and family on the waterfront.

Good. The word gets out, the illegals get out... sounds fine to me.

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The Standard-Times is using a pseudonym for Sabino and other undocumented workers who agreed to speak to protect them from repercussions from their employers or from ICE.

Too bad...

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"They were telling us that immigration was coming into the companies," said Sabino. He said he tried to convince them to stay, that there was no danger. But in the end, 50 to 60 workers left their jobs in the middle of their shift. "So many people have called me and asked if they should go back to work," said Anibal Lucas, director of Organacion Maya Kiche, a Guatemalan cultural group in the city. "Nobody wants to go back to work in the fish houses. Who wants to go back to work? It's bad."

If you're here legally, immigration will not deport you and you have nothing to fear. Only those here illegally have reason to worry.

Quote:

Byron, 24, came to the U.S. from Guatemala six months ago. He works in construction, and sends $400 of his $500 weekly paycheck to his wife and two children back home. "I am really concerned, because of my immigration situation," said Byron, which is not his real name. "I didn't do anything, but immigration is acting as if I am a bad person. People are wanting to go back to work, but there is a lot of fear."

Because of your immigration situation? If you're here illegally, you ARE a bad person, or at least a person acting badly by violating US laws.

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Byron, who said one of his friends was arrested in the sweep but quickly released, wondered, "Why are they going to the companies to pick up people who are working? Why aren't they looking for people who are doing bad things on the street?"

Because they are here illegally. Local and State police are here to pick scum off the street, ICE is there to get them where they "work".

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The move comes the week after the Bush administration toured states along the U-S.-Mexican border and announced a new initiative to crack down on illegal immigration.

Good for President Bush!

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Ms. Sniffen, the immigration attorney, said she thought the raids show a need for a reform of the country's immigration laws.

I agree. We need stricter immigration laws and tougher enforcement and penalties. I somehow don't think my idea is what she had in mind.

Quote:

"Businesses need these workers," she said. "I think this indicates we need some sort of immigration law reform nationwide."

There are unemployed Americans who can do the work.

Quote:

Several other seafood processing plants along the South Terminal waterfront were visited by ICE agents this morning. The first visit was to the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction, according to co-owner Richard Canastra, and then agents spread out and visited workplaces all along the South Terminal waterfront.

Glad to see they were thorough.

Quote:

Historically, the waterfront has a terrible time trying to find enough people to do the hard, dirty work of slicing open fish and shucking scallops while standing on concrete floors for eight hours at a time.

Still not and excuse to violate Federal law.

Quote:

"We could put out 'help wanted' signs 24/7," said Mr. Ferreira, of AML International. "It's very seasonal, like farming. Sometimes we've got a ton of work, and sometimes it's slow." Walter Barrett, general manager for Seatrade International, another fish processing plant, said the immigrants take jobs that no one else wants. "It's very difficult to find 'Americans' to work in the fishing industry," Mr. Barrett said. "If the government is going to continue with this, it is going to cost the fishing industry millions of dollars."

Oh well. Tough $hit.

Quote:

Mr. Ferreira of AML said many of the workers who were arrested came from a Rhode Island employment agency called S&S Staffing. A representative of that company refused to comment.

Refused to comment at the advice of an attorney.

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Some other workers found their jobs at the fish plants through EDA Staffing, a Framingham-based agency with a New Bedford office, located on Herman Melville Boulevard.

Sounds like ICE should raid there.

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Liberal Melo, who runs the New Bedford office, said as long as an applicant supplies a Social Security card, EDA Staffing will find him a job. "We give them an application to fill out and we send them to work," he said. "We assume they are legal immigrants. I have nothing to hide." PUHLEEZ!

As long as there is enough identification, false or otherwise to pretend to complete an I9...

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Mr. Melo said EDA Staffing pays the workers it sends to the fish plants and deducts Social Security payments from their paychecks.

Wow. Like every other company.

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"We pay everybody by check," he said. "We don't pay in cash or anything."

Nice.

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Advocates for the immigrant community wondered about what the raid was supposed to accomplish.

Get a lot of illegals off the streets and send a message that illegal immigration is ILLEGAL and that "undocumented workers" or whatever the pussy PC name is are not welcome here?

Quote:

"It's a terrible situation we're in right now, with Homeland Security pursuing an enforcement strategy against decent, hard-working people who are contributing to the community," she said. "A lot of people will just stay at home and stay out of work. The timing couldn't be worse."

They are here illegally, violating US laws, they are criminals, no matter what the motives are.

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