We found this article on CNN
40 illegal workers arrested at military bases
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) — Immigration officials have arrested 40 illegal workers hired by military contractors in three states, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Friday.The arrests took place on Wednesday and Thursday in Georgia, Virginia and Nevada, the agency said. The workers were hired by different subcontractors, none of which faced federal charges, Rocha said.
Twenty-four illegal immigrants were arrested while trying to enter Fort Benning, Georgia, on Wednesday to do construction work on soldiers’ barracks, said agency spokesman Richard Rocha.
Of the workers arrested, 21 were charged with identity theft and immigration violations. The three not facing criminal charges were to be placed in immigration removal proceedings.
Similar raids at military installations in Nevada and Virginia on Thursday netted 18 other arrests, including two people accused of harboring illegal aliens, agency spokesman Marc Raimondi said.
The 16 people arrested in Virginia include 14 undocumented workers who are not facing criminal charges but will be sent to immigration removal proceedings, including three arrested at the Quantico Marine Base. The two workers arrested in Nevada also are not facing criminal charges.
Immigration officials released few details, but said the arrests resulted from a seven-month investigation.
Military installations and other structures considered critical to national security have been a high priority for immigration officials as they have stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal workers over the last year, said Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Julie Myers.
Corra as a background checking service hears all the stories about the pervasiveness of counterfeit identification papers that can be obtained on various street corners for relatively nominal fees. And then there is the selling of legitimate social security numbers, like yours, or where someone who has acquired a number passes it out to his twelve best friends.
Corra knows, it isn’t supposed to be that way. But it is. One associate was just telling Corra how he can walk around the corner from his office and buy a variety of identification papers. It is, after all, the new American way.
On a benign level it’s a case of undocumented workers obtaining fake papers in order to work here in the United States. On a more malicious level, someone with your social security number, name and date of birth is off and running with identity theft. Only after the damage is done, months later, will you probably hear about it. And by then you can plan on spending months, putting your finances, your life back together.
In the article, illegal workers are happily going back and forth on a military base. Finally they were caught. But with all this talk about Homeland Security and terrorist threats, suppose they weren’t guys who merely wanted to earn a buck for a hard day’s work. Suppose they were up to some terrible no good. Yet here they were, working on a military base.
Someone hadn’t done his job. Someone was asleep at the switch. Or a lot of someone’s had their crammed where little light shines through. As a business owner or Human Resources Manager, we hope you are more thorough. We hope you are conducting criminal background checks and Social Security Traces, which will help you ascertain is someone is a valid worker, or not. If they drive for you run an MVR Search and make sure their license is legitimate. Verify in every way you can that they really or who they say they are.
As Corra says, and, believe me, all self-serving motivations aside, it’s good advice, check them out before you hire.
