Monday, August 31, 2009

"Muckety-muck": No charges filed against Koch Food officials

The online edition of the Middletown Journal has a story about the aftermath of the August 28, 2007 raid at the Koch Food Chicken, Inc. processing plant in Fairfield, Ohio. At the time, it was one of the largest employer immigration raids in government history. More than 160 employees were arrested and prosecuted for identity theft and other crimes. The vast majority of them were also deported. Additionally, ICE served search warrants against the company for alleged immigration violations. It was the cumilation of a two year investigation of the company by federal, state, and local law enforcement. At the time of the raid, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones was quoted as saying,"I've been saying for 2-1/2 years 'We're coming, ... don't hire illegals, don't violate the law.'" and "I personally have no sympathy for you whatsoever, None. Zero."

After the raid, the Assistant Secretary of ICE stated that "Unlawful employment is one of the key magnets drawing illegal aliens across our borders."

Two years later, all charges against the company were dropped. Attorneys for Koch Food stated, "When a good company like Koch, a viable company to the community providing lots of jobs and lots of taxes to the community, tries to do the right thing they get held up in governmental muckety-muck."

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