The gloves are off! Immigration officials raid dozens of 7-Eleven stores, arresting 21 illegals

0
1358

“This is what we’re gearing up for this year and what you’re going to see more and more of is these large-scale compliance inspections, just for starters. From there, we will look at whether these cases warrant an administrative posture or criminal investigation,” he said.

“It’s not going to be limited to large companies or any particular industry, big medium and small,” Benner added. “It’s going to be inclusive of everything that we see out there.”

The agents arrested 21 people suspected of being illegal aliens in the Wednesday raids, but the operation was more directed at management.

“We need to make sure that employers are on notice that we are going to come out and ensure that they’re being compliant,” Benner told the AP. “For those that don’t, we’re going to take some very aggressive steps in terms of criminal investigations to make sure that we address them and hold them accountable.”

And employers could be in major hot water, according to the report.

Wednesday’s operation resulted from a 2013 investigation that resulted in charges against nine 7-Eleven franchisees and managers in New York and Virginia. Eight have pleaded guilty and were ordered to pay more than $2.6 million in back wages, and the ninth was arrested in November.