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Immigration Raid At Poultry Plant

By Associated Press

Hundreds arrested in immigration raids at poultry plants. Immigration Raid At Poultry Plant

Published: Thu, April 17, 2008 - 6:45 am Last Updated: Thu, April 17, 2008 - 6:50 am

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas (AP) - Federal agents say their case for
raiding Pilgrim's Pride chicken plants yesterday was strengthened
by stories they heard from victims of identity theft.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the sweeps at
plants in five states led to the arrest of nearly 300 workers. The
charges range from identity theft and document fraud to immigration
violations.
Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride puts the number of workers arrested
at 400 hourly, non-management employees in plants in Texas,
Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia and Arkansas.
In a seperate operation, federal authorities also arrested
dozens of workers at a doughnut factory in Houston and the
operators of a chain of Mexican restaurants in upstate New York.
No criminal or civil charges have been filed against Pilgrim's
Pride, which has about 55,000 employees at facilities mostly across
the South and in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)