A company accused of encouraging hundreds to illegally enter the United States and then hiring them using fake Social Security numbers has agreed to pay the largest settlement ever in a workplace immigration bust.

IFCO Systems North America, a pallet and crate company, will pay a $20.7 million settlement, which includes $18.1 million in fines and $2.6 million for overtime violations, the Department of Justice said.

In early 2006, immigration officials raided 45 IFCO sites, arresting almost 1,200 low-level workers. Federal officials also charged several managers, accusing them of using “as a business model the systematic violation of United States law.”

To date, nine IFCO managers and employees have pleaded guilty to criminal conduct, the Justice Department said. Four managers are awaiting trial on felony charges and the investigation is continuing, it said.

IFCO records suggests that as many as 6,000 illegal immigrants worked at company plants from 2003 to 2006, the Justice Department said.

I was under the impression that “systematic violation of United States law” was the new paradigm.




  1. Paddy-O says:

    Seize the company, throw the execs in jail and use any funds for further compliance enforcement activities.

  2. deowll says:

    At least this company was providing real jobs for people.

    Obama plans to fix things by putting everyone to work for the government.

    Anyone here smart enough to understand why that isn’t going to work?

  3. bobbo says:

    #2–dimwit==real jobs for illegal immigrants hurts American working class==no help at all there.

    What program has Obama announced that will have the government employing large numbers of people?

    Name at least one, or STFU you repuglican poser. Why do you hate America?

  4. Esteban says:

    Hmmm… The Dallas school district has been doing the exact same thing.

  5. Paddy-O says:

    #3 bobo

    Oops. You should see his plan for infrastructure improvement (roads, etc). Large fed project thing. Not a bad idea BTW.

  6. nonStatist says:

    #2–dimwit==real jobs for illegal immigrants hurts American working class==no help at all there.

    If you are enough of a loser to lose a job to an “illegal immigrant” than the problem is with you!

    The company should get a metal for not following the ludicrous regulations of the feds.

  7. bobbo says:

    #5–Paddy–I’ve heard Obama plans on spending on infrastructure==roads, bridges, levee’s, green energy. I believe they will contract with firms to provide services needed by America and those firms will hire people due to the increased spending.

    In that scenario, I don’t see the government hiring any employees to work for them—do you?

    Other examples, anyone?? — Brain dead repuglicans? anyone????

  8. nonStatist says:

    Medal I mean of course. I need to stop thinking about that next bullion purchase.

  9. Paddy-O says:

    # 8 bobbo said, “In that scenario, I don’t see the government hiring any employees to work for them—do you?”

    Purely semantics. I see you’re practicing to be a pol. LOL

  10. bobbo says:

    #10–Paddy-O===that leaves you and the other brain dead repuglicans thinking roads are built by what??? Charitable contributions from Saddleback Church? Community Service Voluteers.

    No Paddy. Not Semantics, but rather understanding WTF you are talking about.

  11. MikeN says:

    Bobbo, before the election Obama sent a letter to federal employees saying that he would undo private contracting.

    You’re probably right that infrastructure would stay with private construction companies though.

  12. MikeN says:

    If they had done more of this sooner, Republicans might still be running Congress.

  13. Improbus says:

    I was under the impression that “systematic violation of United States law” was the new paradigm.

    You mean like the H-1B visa program?

  14. bobbo says:

    #13–There you go Mike N. Wrote something stupid but caught it==but still sent it. The mark of someone overly enamored of their own voice.

    Of course, I rarely pull back on something I know to be wrong either. I just post it under Mustard’s name when that happens===after removing all emotive punctuation to remove my fingerprints.

  15. #16 – Bobbo

    Whoa! That punctuation is “emotive”? Yowza! You must truly be sensitive and new-age! Did you write the song

    Feelings, nothing more than feelings,
    trying to forget my feelings of love.
    Teardrops rolling down on my face,
    trying to forget my feelings of love.

    Feelings, for all my life I’ll feel it.
    I wish I’ve never met you, girl; you’ll never come again.

    Feelings, wo-o-o feelings,
    wo-o-o, feel you again in my arms.

    Feelings, feelings like I’ve never lost you
    and feelings like I’ve never have you again in my heart.

    Feelings, for all my life I’ll feel it.
    I wish I’ve never met you, girl; you’ll never come again.

    Feelings, feelings like I’ve never lost you
    and feelings like I’ve never have you again in my life.

    Feelings, wo-o-o feelings,
    wo-o-o, feelings again in my arms.
    Feelings……..

    ??

  16. Mr. Fusion says:

    The company should have been dissolved and the execs given jail time. Anything that allows the top people to walk the streets after this is an injustice.

  17. Pmitchell says:

    Holy cow!!!!! I actually agree with fusion. Mark this day down because I believe in 4 years this is only the second time this has happened.

    I say hang em high

  18. deowll says:

    Bobo, unless you want to work for a minimum wage job it doesn’t hurt you. The product is needed. Anybody that pays taxes, including social security taxes, helps you. It delays the day our government goes bankrupt. You go that dimwit?

    Where does the money that pays people that work for the government have to come from. The private sector!

    From what I’m reading here I think most of the people posting here think that America can work just fine with everyone working directly or indirectly for the U.S. Government!

  19. WmDE says:

    When ordering a dozen pallets, do you get a pallet with twelve pallets sitting on it, or do you get eleven new pallets and one used pallet?

  20. MikeN says:

    bobbo, it still contradicts your overall point. If he is dumping private contractors, then that’s more hiring by the government. I just don’t think the construction guys will be affected.

  21. SnotLikeBlasterpoop says:

    Shut ’em down and put the execs in prison where they can have their butts packed with someone else’s turd.

  22. bobbo says:

    #23–Mike==I understand the point you are confusing. Sadly, it is “context.” The term “private contracting” arises primarily in the context of the repuglican practice of taking a traditional government service, like National Defense, and paying private contractors, like Blackwater, 10 times what it would cost to provide the same service by government employees. It is NOT ABOUT stopping traditional government provided services and benefits like a PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM that doesn’t fall down. Yes, the alternative is NO GOVERNMENT SPENDING on roads, toll roads everywhere you go. Is that what you want????

    The other side of expecting a “free” government handout is the faulty notion that any of us could afford paying the for profit bonuses if everything was provided per the free market.

    Public Health, Water, Electricity==etc. I think we are all better off having the government hire people to provide these services.

    Simply Madoff to suggest otherwise.

    #20–dreull==I doubt a labor force that sends millions of its slave wages back to Mexico helps the American Economy at all. “Society” is a larger “context” than minimum wage, consumer prices, and tax revenue. Its called “quality of life” and there isn’t much of that with illegal wage slaves. Difficult to put hard dollar analysis on that many variable though.

  23. Thomas says:

    #20
    > Bobo, unless you want
    > to work for a minimum
    > wage job it doesn’t
    > hurt you.

    Is that the criteria now: if it doesn’t impact me directly then its ok? We should simply ignore the other Americans that might take those jobs but are not given the chance because of the additional paperwork of hiring legal workers, right?

    Rather than making criminals out of people trying to get a job we should either enforce the minimum wage and immigration laws or dispense with them. Encouraging selective enforcement is absolutely the wrong solution. Bringing the hammer down on companies that employ illegal workers is the right solution.

  24. Mr. Fusion says:

    #26, Thomas,

    Bringing the hammer down on companies that employ illegal workers is the right solution.

    So is bringing the hammer down on companies that purposefully flaunt labor laws. That would include minimum wage violations, unsafe health conditions, failing to remit employee deductions, and sex, age, race, and religion discrimination.

    Note, I said “purposefully”. That doesn’t include accidental one incident activities.

  25. Thomas says:

    #27
    I agree. Otherwise, why have the laws if we are not going to enforce them?

  26. Mr. Fusion says:

    #29, peehead,

    You must be a lameass that doesn’t understand the problem.

    They do enter the country illegally.

    They use stolen ID and SSNs to work. This ends up causing all kinds of problems for the innocent person who’s ID was used.

    They drive down wages making legal Americans work for less.

    They take jobs causing legal Americans to have higher unemployment.

    While I favor Universal Healthcare, it still stands that illegal workers don’t pay their medical bills and have caused several hospital emergency rooms to close because of the overwhelming debt and others to absorb the costs of extended treatment.

    Local facilities are required to supply illegals with education, fire protection, and police services. This extra demand is crippling many localities.

    They commit an extraordinary amount of crime, including violent crime, causing an increasing demand on our prison population.

    As usual you have no idea what illegal immigration has done to the American economy.


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