KCBD-11 (Lubbock, Texas)

May 16, 2007

Immigrant Arrests Prompt Worker Debate

Seventeen illegal immigrants, 5 female and 12 male, remained in federal custody Wednesday night, after authorities raided two dairies outside Amherst Wednesday morning.  Law enforcement took the illegal Mexican immigrants from the Five Star Dairy and the Milk Harvest Dairy and investigators tell NewsChannel 11 this isn't the first time.

A spokesperson from Immigration and Customs Enforcement tells us some of the illegal workers may be offered a voluntary return to Mexico, while others are expected to go before a judge at the federal building on Friday.  For some, it will be their second strike.

"They're looking for a place to work, send money to their families, doing that just kills everybody. It makes me feel bad to see that you know," Moses Viera said. 

A raid by federal authorities Wednesday landed 17 illegal immigrants, and two local dairies in some big trouble, but this isn't the first time.  Investigators tell us they arrested several illegal workers at the same dairy last year.  They say they heard information that some of those people were back and that's what sparked Wednesday's arrests.

Investigators tracked the illegal workers through the Texas Workforce Commission. The commission maintains a list of employees for each business in Texas, with their name, Social Security Number and wages. 

Illegal workers arrested in May of 2006 appeared on the dairies' most recent report. Authorities say that indicates the dairies' owners most likely knew those workers were not here legally.

"There are jobs here that Americans just aren't willing to do," David Dean Aguilar said. 

Wednesday's arrests brought up a bigger issue for a few folks in town.  

"I think this guest worker program needs to be implemented as soon as possible. It makes all the sense in the world," Aguilar said. 

Aguilar says migrant workers are needed and the government needs to find ways that allow them to remain in the country.  "If not, all these Americans that think Mexicans are taking their jobs, go to the Department of Labor, put your application in, see what it's like to work hard," Aguilar said. 

"Like us, we're from here and we still have to work hard," Viera said. 

The Texas Workforce Commission reported that both dairies had forty workers in 2006. If that's still true, Wednesday's arrests cut their staff in half.

We tried to contact the dairies' owners this afternoon, but they did not return our calls.  Authorities say this is an ongoing investigation, but right now the owners have not been charged with anything.