INS Holds 24 Workers Pending Deportation

Continuing a sweep of construction sites in Orange County that began last week, immigration authorities arrested 24 suspected undocumented workers in Orange, Tustin and Santa Ana throughout the day Friday and were processing them for deportation, officials said.

“This is a widespread problem in California,” said Rocky Concepcion, a special supervisory agent in charge of the INS office in Santa Ana. “In many instances, these are jobs that could be given to permanent residents or U.S. citizens, but by hiring the day laborers or illegal aliens, they just pay the minimum wage.”

Concepcion said he expected more raids in the coming weeks.

Friday’s raids, like those undertaken at construction sites last week, were coordinated with the Contractors State License Board, Concepcion said.

The employers involved in both sets of raids are being investigated, and it is unclear whether any would be sanctioned, he said.

One worker is from Honduras and the rest arrested Friday are from Mexico, Concepcion said. He said most were picked up by employers at gathering spots.

A raid of undocumented workers at four McDonald’s restaurants in Laguna Niguel, Irvine and Newport Beach last Thursday, which resulted in 36 arrests, was in response to a complaint that local high school students were unable to find work at the eateries, Concepcion said. He said it was unclear whether employers involved in those cases would be sanctioned.