A Grainger County meat-processing plant was the subject Thursday of what one media outlet calls the largest immigration raid in a decade.
The Southeastern Provision plant in Bean Station was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The Washington Post reports. Agents arrested 97 immigrants; 10 arrests were on federal immigration charges, one on state charges and 86 immigrants for being in the country illegally, the newspaper quoted an ICE spokeswoman as saying. Most of the immigrants reportedly were from Mexico.
The raid was part of the Trump administration’s increased focus on immigration enforcement, the newspaper reports.
WVLT Local 8 television news reports that the action began as a tax-related raid from the Internal Revenue Service. After the immigrants were detained, relatives and friends gathered outside a National Guard armory in Morristown where they were held.
The Washington Post story also said the Tennessee Highway Patrol was involved. The newspaper referenced an IRS agent’s affidavit claiming the plant is being investigated for alleged evasion of taxes, filing false tax returns and hiring illegal immigrants. The agent’s affidavit claims the plant failed to report $8.4 million in wages and to pay at least $2.5 million in payroll taxes for dozens of workers.
WATE reports the investigation began after bank officials told them about large cash withdrawals that slaughterhouse employees allegedly made.
The Tennessee Bar Association has joined with illegal immigration advocates. The association website urges its members who are immigration attorneys to volunteer their services and contact the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. Advocates are raising legal funds on GoFundMe.
I wish they would come to Shelbyville.
I say prosecute those that knowingly hire illegal immigrants and they will eventually stop coming over because there will be no jobs..Common sense..no jobs .. they have to stay in their own countries..and stop giving everyone asylum… that’s just another way they have figured out to use to get to stay..these people are not stupid they tell each other what to say and where to go..
At what point does GoFundMe become the Treasury of a coordinated criminal conspiracy to promote human trafficking.
Dems didn’t want to negotiate on DACA or the wall so this is the correct move. If they want to go into the midterms fighting hammers and tongs over illegal aliens being forced to follow the law well…let’s have that fight.
As I read the Commies this weekend, an illegal “journalist” was picked up by ICE after Memphischose to release him. All those illegals cutting chicken tenders should have said they were journalists too since they seem to think they are a priesthood and walking sanctuaries.
These people and their families don’t need GoFundMe fundraisers for attorneys. They need a discount travel agent to reunite them in the home countries.
These are not illegal “immigrants”. They are illegal “aliens”. Alien in that they are not entitled to be here. Nice job. Now move on to the next place of business that employs illegal aliens.
Don’t have to look far. It is Morristown/Hamblen county that has 26% Hispanic population in the public schools and 10% functionally illiterate in english. But the US Supreme court has ruled that government schools have to provide services to illegals if they take federal funds. So figure that out…you are forced to spend $10k per year for the illegals in schools, but are in trouble if you hire them and don’t cough up enough money to uncle sugar.