Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly detained more than 100 undocumented immigrants on Tuesday as part of a raid at a manufacturing company in Texas.

ICE detained 160 workers at a trailer manufacturer known as Load Trail, according to ABC News. The network notes that the company had been previously charged with knowingly hiring undocumented workers.

"I knew these were clearly illegals. This is not the way we are supposed to be hiring," Katrina Berger, the Department of Homeland Security's special agent in charge of investigations, told ABC News. "They told me to keep doing my job - that if they were visited by ICE again, they would simply pay the fine and go on."


Berger told the network that the raid was carried out after the agency received a tip about Load Trail hiring undocumented immigrants. Some of the immigrants were allegedly using fraudulent identification papers as well.

Berger added that the search did not conclude with any criminal arrests.

In 2014, Load Trail paid a fine of nearly $500,000 for knowingly employing unauthorized workers, according to ABC News, which added that the company had employed 179 people who were in the country illegally at the time.

The development in Texas comes as ICE continues to carry out raids across the country. Earlier this month, agents raided businesses in Montana and Nebraska, indicting 17 business owners and mangers for fraud and money laundering.

ICE did not immediately respond to request for comment from The Hill.

It's good to see them doing their job. Repeat offenders should face heavier fines. Double second time triple fine 3rd time and so on.

yea, I was thinking the same thing...if they could care less about the laws and fines, then maybe the owners need to sit in jail and triple the fines...

It seems like the more they detain and deport them more come in. I wonder sometimes if someone is not paying off the boarder patrols.

Employers should be required to do e-verify in Texas and when employers submit W-2's to irs should be cross check with e-verify records. Fines and jail time for business owners that don't comply.

It may reduce some of that crap.

Well everyone they deport is One less the US has to support. They should deport that many and more in every boarder State!

The raid happened, in a county not far from my
own.

I do know, there has been a heavier than usual
ICE presence in the county i live in, as well.


I don't care who it pisses off, or whose little
feelers it hurts... It's nice to see laws actually
being enforced.

Maybe the cities and states that gripe so loudly over having ICE agents within their boarders, should loose them. With Ice gone, the influx of illegals would increase. Rampant crime would cause people raise h#ll with their local government.

Maybe that's what needs to happen.

have you looked at the names of most of the border gaurds? Remember, they have to speak Spanish as well...

What amazes me is everyone wants to put it on the Employer yes in these cases they know they are illegal from the start.. But if someone comes in and puts in a application and they have a SS card on them with their name and a Photo ID the State really don't give Employers a link to run those through to see if they are really here on a work visa or if they are legit...

But if you hire one and then the SS office contacts you saying it is not them all you can do is respond that they are still working for you or they are no longer working for you.. and it pretty much stops there..

Also what many does not know if you hire them and find out they are illegal after, by law you really can't fire them over that..

Ohh and the law was put in long time ago about going after Employers and fine them if they do hire illegals which is hard to find unless someone turns them in for normally those are ones that pay them cash under the table...

But many have SS Cards that have a false number on them or one that is deceased..

It needs to start with the boarder first.... I have never understood it is okay for other Countries to make you verify you are legal but in the USA many want to get on the band wagon to make it open for all.. Which they don't realize it is open for all that are Legal and apply in the right way~~~

SOURCE: http://loadtrail.com/index.php/company/about-us/

Y'know, using illegal immigrants to build trailers is not vital to the nation. Its not like there is high demand for trailers or anything.
Its pure greed.


SOURCE: http://www.kxii.com/content/news/Load-Trail-hiring--492123821.html

The question on my mind is how many legal citizens could have been working if Load Trail hired no illegal immigrants? How many illegals are they going to hire now, to get their workforce back?
If ICE isn't watching them, they should be.

I believe ICE should assign a series of agents to go in and spot check them. Not the same agent but different agents. That way it is less likely they can buy off the agent.

If they hire even ONE illegal, they are breaking the law.

We all know there are illegals being hired.
ICE knows there are illegals being hired.
It doesn't matter if it is 160 or one, its still illegal.
Why must they wait till they have a large number of illegals before anything is done?

Right now, illegals come in because they can get work. Solution - remove the work.
If none can get work, it removes the reason for them to come in the country. Plus, without a job or money, they are easier to spot and deport.
Plus, if they can't pay their mule, the mules are less likely to transport them (too much risk for too little reward).

If hiring illegals (even one) causes a fine of closing your business for a period of time and freezing assets, the business owner loses money, reputation and competitive edge.
If ICE starts closing down offenders for a week per violation in addition to stiff monetary fines and jail time, they're not going to risk hiring illegals. It wouldn't make sense, too much risk for too little pay-off.

When I built a distribution warehouse out in L.A, We started the hiring process. That area is mostly Mexican.

While Interviewing one Mexican guy for a forklift driver position I asked him for his legal paperwork, which he gave me. While looking at his S.S. card he chimed in.. " and if that one is no good... I have another"..............

They have the paperwork scam down to a science.

Paperwork scam will only work until the W-2 gets filed.
If you illegally hire a workforce (under-the-table) you are not only violating tax laws you are violating the ACA laws and cheating Social Security.
So, if you knowlingly hire a workforce under-the-table to avoid taxes and ACA, you are breaking the law.
If you do legally hire and the employee's w-2 gets flagged it is on you if you continue to employ them, knowing they are illegal.

When I started with a new job, I had to wait for the background checks before I was 'officially' hired and even then, there was always a 90 day period that I could be let go for any reason and I AM a legal citizen.
To qualify for unemployment and other benefits you have to be employed for at least 90 days.

If an illegal can't get work, can't make money, it becomes a problem to be here. If ICE or the government wants to actually do something about the problem, they need to go after the employers that break the laws.
"If the enemy goes to ground - leave no ground to go to" ~ The Agent, Serenity (2005).