Utah plant caught in a multi-state immigration raid

HYRUM, Cache County — Federal officials released few details Tuesday of a 10-month investigation that resulted in immigration raids at six Swift & Co. facilities, including its plant in Hyrum.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is expected to release details at a press conference today of the investigation into the alleged theft of identities of U.S. citizens and lawful residents by "large numbers" of illegal immigrants in order to gain employment.

There were no criminal charges against Swift, ICE spokesman Marc Raimondi said.

"We are targeting the illegal action of some of their employees and the illegal status of many of their employees," Raimondi said.

More than 1,000 people are employed at the meat processing plant, according to the Department of Workforce Services.

While federal agents did not immediately release the number of arrests, activists believed that 80 or more people were detained and taken from the facility in at least two busloads.

The police and ICE presence at various entrances to the plant was heavy Tuesday, and several workers leaving the facility about 2:30 p.m. declined to speak to the Deseret Morning News.

Community activists say the plant had apparently been locked down for much of the morning while federal agents executed a warrant to search for and apprehend illegal alien workers on site.

ReNee Garcia of Logan spent part of Tuesday afternoon trying to collect information about Armando Rodriguez, a brother-in-law, whom Garcia had been told was among those arrested.

"We haven't heard from him at all," Garcia said. "We've been waiting for him to call and there's nothing. ... I need to find out if he's OK."

During one trip to the plant Tuesday, Garcia was turned away by police.

"What are we going to do, smuggle them in our pockets?" she said. "We need to talk to them. We need to know what we can do to help them."

Calls and e-mails to Swift, a beef and pork processor based in Greeley, Colo., were referred to vice president Sean McHugh, who declined to comment beyond a press release, which said operations at all six facilities had been temporarily halted while federal agents interviewed employees.

In the release, Sam Rovit, president and CEO of Swift, said his company participates in a federal program to verify the work eligibility of its employees.