THE WORKERS
ARRESTED were members of cleaning crews which the company hired through a
contractor. All were in the country illegally, said a federal official on
condition of anonymity.
The arrests occurred as the workers were finishing their night shift
at stores in 21 states.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams confirmed the federal Immigration
and Customs Enforcement office is investigating and that a number of stores
were raided Thursday morning.
“They arrested a number of members of the floor cleaning crews. They
are (employed by) outside contractors; they’re not Wal-Mart associates,”
Williams said.
She said the company would give more information later.
The arrests stem from a November 1998 investigation done in
conjunction with the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office. That
investigation also targeted contractors and subcontractors used by Wal-Mart
to clean stores.
Employers are required to check forms known
as I-9’s, filled out by every new employee, and keep the forms for a
specified period of time. An employer can face civil and criminal penalties
for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants or failing to comply with the I-9
regulations.
The workers arrested were detained at local immigration offices, the
official said. If they had no previous criminal record, they were released
with notices to appear before immigration judges.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., is the world’s
largest retailer.
The states where arrests were made are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona,
Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North
Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
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