ALBANY, N.Y. - A wood pallet recycling company caught in a national crackdown on hiring illegal immigrants has agreed to pay almost $21 million to settle charges lodged by federal prosecutors in upstate New York.
Several senior managers of IFCO Systems North America had previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor and felony immigration charges since authorities conducted a 26-state roundup of nearly 1,200 foreign workers two years ago.
Several senior managers of IFCO Systems North America had previously pleaded guilty to misdemeanor and felony immigration charges since authorities conducted a 26-state roundup of nearly 1,200 foreign workers two years ago.
Now prosecutors say they'll drop charges against the company as part of the settlement announced Friday, which includes IFCO taking responsibility for the illegal hiring.
"The agreement severely punishes IFCO for its serious immigration and employment violations, but it also allows the corporation to continue its operations, so that its lawful employees and innocent shareholders do not suffer the consequences of a business failure in this difficult economy," said Andrew Baxter, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York.
The government's settlement with IFCO is the largest ever with a corporation charged with employing illegal immigrants, almost doubling the $11 million Wal-Mart agreed to pay in 2005 to settle allegations it used hundreds of illegal immigrants to clean its stores, said John Torres, acting Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"The agreement severely punishes IFCO for its serious immigration and employment violations, but it also allows the corporation to continue its operations, so that its lawful employees and innocent shareholders do not suffer the consequences of a business failure in this difficult economy," said Andrew Baxter, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York.
The government's settlement with IFCO is the largest ever with a corporation charged with employing illegal immigrants, almost doubling the $11 million Wal-Mart agreed to pay in 2005 to settle allegations it used hundreds of illegal immigrants to clean its stores, said John Torres, acting Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
1 comment:
I hope to seem more of this as our economy goes south, load them up and move them back home,
Let the employers share the jail cell with Big Bubba and forfeit all ill gotten gains The 21 million will help defray the cost to send the illegals home.
Would you rather feed your legal neighbor or someone here breaking our laws and draining our Social services.
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