Inside ICE: Volume 2, Issue 23

ICE Arrests 106 Illegal Workers At Washington Warehouses

SEATTLE—ICE agents served a federal civil warrant at a worksite near Seattle November 2 and arrested 106 aliens believed to be working in the United States without authorization.

The operation occurred at bonded warehouses operated by Regal Logistics Corp. in Fife, Wash. Regal Logistics provides storage space for customs “in-bond” merchandise entering the United States from abroad.

The workers were identified after ICE agents audited recent hiring records of Phoenix Staffing, LLC. and found discrepancies leading agents to believe that a number of the company’s employees may not have been authorized to work in the United States. Phoenix Staffing is a temporary employment agency used by Regal Logistics.

ICE agents say it appears that many of the illegal workers used counterfeit identity documents to obtain their jobs. The majority of the unauthorized employees are from Mexico.

This operation is part of ICE’s worksite enforcement efforts focusing on businesses with ties to security sensitive sites and critical infrastructure facilities—including airports, military bases, customs “in-bond” warehouses and bio-agriculture industries. Unauthorized workers with access to such sites are vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists, smugglers, traffickers or other criminals. Regal Logistics’ bonded facilities are located close to the area’s major seaports, rail yards, and international airports.

“Addressing security vulnerabilities that pose a potential threat to our nation’s vital infrastructure is a crucial part of ICE’s enforcement strategy,” said Leigh Winchell, special agent-in-charge for ICE investigations in Seattle. “When someone uses fraud or false documents to gain access to a major cargo hub like the Seattle-Tacoma area, we have no way of knowing who they really are or what their motives might be.”

To aid employers, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services operates the Basic Pilot Program, a Web-based system that enables businesses to verify the employment eligibility of newly hired workers. Nationwide, there are more than 20,000 hiring sites using the Basic Pilot Program. Interested employers are urged to call the agency’s toll-free number at 888-464-4218 to obtain more information.

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