By Eric Herman
Chicago Sun-Times
Ore. immigration raid nabs more than 165 at food processing plant
The ICE cracks down on Nev. McDonald’s employees
CHICAGO, Ill. — Federal and local authorities launched an early-morning immigration raid at O’Hare Airport today, officials said.
The raid, which began at 4:45 a.m., targeted illegal immigrants with false identification who were being allowed to load cargo onto airplanes, sources said.
The raid included agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement — a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security known as ICE — as well as Cook County sheriff’s deputies, sources said.
“What I can tell you at this point is that ICE agents, in conjunction with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, are conducting an enforcement operation subsequent to an eight-month-long investigation,” said ICE spokeswoman Gail Montenegro.
More information will be provided at a 3 p.m. press conference, Montenegro said.
The issue of illegal or undocumented immigrants working at O’Hare is not new.
Elvira Arellano, who conducted a year-long standoff with U.S. immigration authorities by seeking sanctuary in a Chicago church, once held a job at O’Hare cleaning airplanes.
Copyright 2007 The Chicago Sun-Times