The workers taken into custody fraudulently represented their immigration statuses and submitted fraudulent documents to seek employment, according to ICE.
On Tuesday, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a worksite raid at Eagle Beverage and Accessories Products in Kent, Washington, which resulted in the apprehension of 17 illegal migrants who were unlawfully employed at the manufacturing company. The workers taken into custody fraudulently represented their immigration statuses and submitted fraudulent documents to seek employment, according to ICE. The city of Kent is located just south of Seattle.
The company, which manufactures product lines that include beverage mixes, syrups, and teas, has been placed under a criminal investigation for the "unlawful employment of aliens without legal work authorization in violation of federal law," ICE spokesperson David Yost told The Post Millennial in a statement.
Video footage taken by a bystander and posted on social media captured a line of workers in handcuffs being escorted out of the business by federal authorities. Both men and women were loaded onto a bus and taken into federal custody.
The joint operation was conducted by ICE, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), US Border Patrol, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID) following the execution of a federal search warrant.
"As a result of the operation, 17 aliens who had fraudulently represented their immigration status and fraudulent documents and/or information to seek employment were administratively arrested," said Yost. "ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigates worksite violations and/or the exploitation of workers. Worksite enforcement investigations focus on reducing illegal employment, holding employers accountable, and protecting employment opportunities for the country's lawful workforce."
The raid comes after Border Czar Tom Homan vowed to increase worksite enforcement operations in sanctuary states and cities that have reaffirmed their commitments to not cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
ICE Seattle conducted a similar worksite enforcement operation on April 2 in Mount Vernon, Washington. 37 illegal immigrants who were unlawfully employed at Mount Baker Roofing Company were arrested and taken into federal custody.
Last month, the federal immigration agency reported that over 1,000 illegal immigrants had been apprehended in worksite enforcement operations since President Trump took office in January and kicked off mass deportation operations. Additionally, more than $1 million in fines have been issued to businesses for employing illegal labor.
The Post Millennial reached out to Eagle Beverage and Accessories Products for comment.
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