Immigration News Roundup: March 5 – March 11

This week one story dominates above all others – Increased immigration raids. A major raid in New Bedford, Mass left over one hundred children parentless after federal agents arrested over 300 mostly female immigrants at a military equipment manufacturer. While this story garnered national attention, not only for its scope but its aftermath, a myriad of other smaller raids took place all over the country. This week's roundup looks at those raids – just one more week in what's becoming a government war on the undocumented.

• Ten Arrested at Arizona Construction Company


• Immigration agents arrest 11 in raid on party rental company in San Diego


• 36 Arrested in Indiana


• Thirty arrested in San Francisco Area Tuesday


• Second day of immigration raids includes Novato and San Rafael


• Immigration Raids: Feds Say Local Sweep is ‘Ongoing’-30 Arrested in Santa Fe


• Dozens Arrested in Missouri on Immigration Charges


• Seven arrested in Sioux Falls, S.D.


• Officials net 363 immigrants in recent New Jersey raids


• 350 are held in immigration raid in New Bedford

Ten Arrested at Arizona Construction Company

TUCSON - Federal authorities on Friday raided a construction company in southern Arizona accused of breaking the law by hiring illegal immigrants, arresting the firm's president and several employees on federal charges and detaining 10 undocumented workers.
…. Scores of agents fanned out in Sierra Vista and Douglas Friday morning, raiding the company's offices, a foreman's home, the home of a suspected counterfeiter and eight worksites.
Arizona Republic

Immigration agents arrest 11 in raid on party rental company in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, (AP) --Federal agents raided a party rental company Thursday and arrested 11 workers on immigration violations, authorities said.

Nine of those detained worked for Raphael's Party Rentals, a long-established business that did work on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. Two others worked for another party rental company.

The company handles shows, golf tournaments and other events on the base, just north of downtown San Diego, according to owner Philip Silverman. He said he did not know whether any of the people who were arrested had worked on the base.
San Francisco Chronicle

36 Arrested in Indiana

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- Juan Ruiz de Leon knew there might be an immigration raid on Janco Composites after another worker was arrested for allegedly using someone else's Social Security number to get her job.

His 20-year-old daughter, Carmen Ruiz, said he thought about quitting.

"He'd been there so long. He decided to take a chance," she said.

Her father was one of 36 workers arrested during a raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at the factory Tuesday where Fiberglas-reinforced plastic products are made.
Indianapolis Star

Thirty arrested in San Francisco Area Tuesday

Federal agents arrested at least 30 alleged illegal immigrants in San Rafael and Novato Tuesday and Wednesday during immigration raids, authorities said.

In response, scores of other undocumented immigrants skipped work and kept their children home from school out of fear they too would be detained, community leaders said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lori Haley confirmed that agents were conducting arrests in San Rafael and Novato but would not say how many people had been picked up.
San Francisco Chronicle

Second day of immigration raids includes Novato and San Rafael

Federal immigration officers were back in San Rafael and Novato Wednesday to make another round of arrests.

San Rafael police received a call from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest investigative branch of the Department of Homeland Security, about 5 a.m. indicating they would be making additional arrests, said San Rafael police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher.
Marin Independent

Immigration Raids: Feds Say Local Sweep is ‘Ongoing’ - 30 Arrested in Santa Fe

A raid by federal agents that sparked panic in Santa Fe’s immigrant community last week and resulted in 30 arrests is over for now, but an immigration official said agents could be back in town anytime.

“This is an ongoing, daily effort,” said Leticia Zamarripa, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso. “This was not a one-time deal.”

The raid angered officials in a city known for its pro-immigrant stance. Mayor David Coss called the sweep “an attack on our town” and said the city was still trying to piece together what happened. That included trying to figure out who was arrested and deported.
Santa Fe NewMexican

Dozens Arrested in Missouri on Immigration Charges

JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- Dozens of suspected illegal immigrants were taken into custody after an investigation at Missouri's state capitol.

The two-month long investigation by local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) found that Sam's Janitorial Service allegedly employed dozens of suspected illegal workers.
KHQA-7

Seven arrested in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Seven Mexican nationals were arrested Wednesday in Sioux Falls, accused of being in the country illegally.

At least five of them worked at Inca, a restaurant near West 41st Street and Holly Avenue, said Tim Counts, spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Counts said ICE agents used search warrants to arrest five men and one woman at the restaurant at 11 a.m. Wednesday, then removed another man from an apartment two blocks to the east.

It's unclear whether the business owners could face criminal or civil penalties.
ArgusLeader

Officials net 363 immigrants in recent New Jersey raids

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this week they had picked up 363 immigrants in New Jersey in a series of recent raids. The arrests were part of a nationwide ICE operation called Return to Sender, in which immigration agents have been enforcing orders of deportation, picking up fugitives with criminal records, and detaining immigrants here illegally, according to an agency spokesman.
New Jersey Media Group

350 are held in immigration raid in New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD -- Hundreds of immigration officers and police descended on a New Bedford leather goods factory yesterday , charged top officials with employing illegal immigrants, and rounded up 350 workers who could not prove they were in the country legally.
Boston Globe

tags: immigration, immigration raid , DHS, deportation