ICE Raids Texas Company, Arrests Over 150 For Immigration Violation Allegations

Officials from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested more than 150 workers of a Texas-based trailer company in a raid Tuesday, based on allegations of immigration violations.

"With those numbers, this is one of the larger work site enforcement operations conducted at one site in the past 10 years," Katrina W. Berger, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)’s Dallas office said.

The raid, which involved about 300 federal agents, was part of an ongoing criminal investigation into Load Trail, a company situated at Sumner in Lamar County. The company’s 100 acre site is located about 12 miles northwest of Paris, Lamar County, and 100 miles northeast of Dallas, and was accused of hiring undocumented immigrants.

FOX 4 News reported Homeland Security helicopters circled the perimeter before agents descended on Load Trail, which employs about 500 people.

The suspected illegal immigrants were arrested and taken to detention facilities in Texas and another one in Oklahoma in buses.

“All illegal aliens encountered will be fingerprinted and processed for removal from the United States,” the officials said.

Five men were processed at the location and released as they were deemed to be sole caregivers to children, Berger said. They were provided with notices to appear in front of federal authorities for further investigational purposes. Employees told FOX 4 News the raid was a chaotic scene.

Significant planning went into the raid so that “the people we are administratively arresting are humanely treated or well-treated throughout the entire event,” Berger said.

ICE agents said the investigation began when the Homeland Security Investigation (HIS), an arm of Homeland Security, received tips about the company knowingly hiring undocumented immigrants. There were allegations many illegal workers used fraudulent identification documents as well.

“Businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens create an unfair advantage over their competing businesses,” ICE and HIS agent Berger said. “In addition, they take jobs away from U.S. citizens and legal residents, and they create an atmosphere poised for exploiting their illegal workforce.”

The officials also clarified the bust was part of a criminal investigation that involved Load Trail, and was not a mere roundup of illegal immigrants. Berger said the raid was conducted smoothly without any serious incidents and there was no instances “that necessitated medical attention.”

Load Trail, founded in 1996, designed trailers and flatbeds for pickup trucks. Many of the employees were metal workers and welders, Berger said.

According to ICE, this is not the first time the company has faced a similar situation. In 2014, Load Trail paid a fine of $445,000 for hiring dozens of undocumented immigrants. The company has not shut down its operations despite the recent arrest.

Berger said the raid and the arrest serves as a stern warning to other businesses illegally hiring employees. “You may have gotten away with it but we’re watching and we’re coming,” she warned.

A similar raid based on criminal search warrants happened early June, when 114 people were arrested by immigration agents at two locations in Ohio. Officials said the raid was one of the largest employer sings in the nation at the time.