WalMart back to hiring illegal immigrants

[oboe]

I am shocked, shocked I tell you, to learn that the employment of illegal immigrants is going on here!

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Federal immigration agents detained more than 100 workers at a construction site for a new Wal-Mart distribution center, authorities said.

The workers, who Wal-Mart said were employed by a subcontractor and not by the retailing giant, were detained Thursday on suspected immigration violations, said Department of Homeland Security spokesman Marc Raimondi. They were being taken to Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers for processing, he said.

More than 50 federal immigration agents, joined by the U.S. Labor Department, Social Security Administration and state police, raided the construction site near Pottsville, about 80 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Wal-Mart spokesman Marty Heires said the company would cooperate fully with federal authorities.

"We have written contracts with these subcontractors requiring that they follow all applicable local, state and federal employment laws," he said in a statement.

At least 120 illegal immigrants, most of them from Mexico, were detained, Schuylkill County Sheriff Frank McAndrew said. He said he began investigating the site and contacted federal officials after getting complaints from local tradespeople.

"You've got a situation here where illegal immigrants are coming into Schuylkill County and taking (local union workers') jobs for eight bucks an hour. They are working for poverty wages, and creating unemployment because our skilled tradesmen are out of work," McAndrew said.

In 2003, a raid of 60 Wal-Mart stores in 21 states led to the arrests of 245 illegal workers. An affidavit claimed a pair of senior Wal-Mart executives knew cleaning contractors were hiring illegal immigrants. The retailer agreed to pay $11 million in March to settle the case but denied senior executives knew of the hirings.

[Shifty]

Didnt you hear Cheny had Halliburton buy Wal-Mart. Bush Sr. flew in an SR-71 to Arkansas to seal the deal. better call Cindy Shehann.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Shifty
Didnt you hear Cheny had Halliburton buy Wal-Mart. Bush Sr. flew in an SR-71 to Arkansas to seal the deal. better call Cindy Shehann.

[AWMac]

Does this mean I'll be seeing Broda, Nilsen and Dowding greatin me on Saturdays?



Mac

[bj229r]

The original thing about 6 months ago that Walmart had illegals doing custodial work was BS--they sub that sort of work out to local companies, ands its a bit much to demand proof of citizenship from the employees of a contractor who you hire to do your work, even more BS to make them responsible for construction slugs at a job site that is run by a general contractor

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by bj229r
The original thing about 6 months ago that Walmart had illegals doing custodial work was BS--they sub that sort of work out to local companies, ands its a bit much to demand proof of citizenship from the employees of a contractor who you hire to do your work, even more BS to make them responsible for construction slugs at a job site that is run by a general contractor

Yes but the subs and the Gen contractor should know better.  To me this isn't about wallmart it's about the contractors.  Most of these illegals that were rounded up are hard working individuals seeking a better way of life.  It's the 20% of illegals that represent the crime elements that I'm concerned with.  Tax the workers deport the criminals and seal up the border.  That would be my policy.

[Holden McGroin]

There is something fundamentally wrong with this story. Everyone knows illegals only do the jobs Americans don't want to do.

[bj229r]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
There is something fundamentally wrong with this story. Everyone knows illegals only do the jobs Americans don't want to do.

Actually they drive down the labor rates to the point that non-skilled Americans won't do them. Been going to construction sites for over 20 years for various things, and ALL the grunt work is done by Mexicans now--young, poor, white and black kids have apparently found some other way to get by