21 illegals arrested in raid on Deming tamale plant

By Louie Gilot / El Paso Times

Article Launched: 12/12/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

Immigration agents raided a Deming (NM) tamales plant Monday and arrested 21 undocumented workers in an operation they dubbed Operation Tamale, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

The arrests are the result of a five-month investigation of Proper Foods Inc., 1319 E. Pine St., where 300 people prepared, packaged and distributed tamales for wholesale and retail sale. Agents had a criminal search warrant.

"Work-site enforcement operations are part of ICE's efforts to promote national security, protect critical infrastructure, and ensure fair labor standards," said Roberto Medina, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in El Paso.

All but one of those arrested Monday were Mexican nationals. They were 10 men; 10 women, including a Honduran; and a 17-year-old boy.

ICE officials said they contacted the Mexican Consulate to reunite the boy with his family. Consulate spokeswoman Socorro Cordova said the boy would stay in the care of the federal government in Juárez until his parents made arrangements for his return.

Consular officials interviewed all of the immigrants arrested, Cordova said.

"We wanted to make sure that they had been paid all the wages they were due, and they reported that all the wages had been covered," she said.

ICE officials said three women were released on their own recognizance and told to appear before an immigration judge at a later date. Two men and four wo men were put in the El Paso immigration detention center to await deportation.

The others were voluntarily returned to Mexico on Monday. The different treatments depend on whether the migrants had been deported before, whether they have criminal records, or whether they ask to see a judge because they have grounds to stay in the United States.

Louie Gilot may be reached at lgilot@elpasotimes.com, 546-6131.

Immigration agents move in on tamales plant

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I'm going to be following articles on the Border Patrol, especially what's happening in this general region, a lot more closely than I used to.

My thanks to the men and women who do the job.