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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Feds Back In Town

Posted By Hank Sims on Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 11:31 AM

The federal depart of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement -- aka "La Migra," previously known as the INS -- is staging some kind of huge operation in Arcata. Bob Doran is in the parking lot of Westwood, where something like 10 vehicles are staged. McKinleyville's Dennis Mayo tells KHUM's Mike Dronkers that a huge number of vehicles were staged at Toni's Restaurant off Giuntoli, and have just moved out.

UPDATE: Sun Valley has been surrounded, they say -- big place to surround. One ICE official tells Bob Doran that they are there to execute a search warrant.

UPDATE: While we wait for details, you might want to read up on what has led to this, today. Here's a Blogthing report from Japhet Weeks about the ICE letter that led to Sun Valley cleaning house back in June. Here's the follow-up NCJ cover story .

The key thing to remember: Back then, they insisted that they were at the very beginning of their investigation.

UPDATE: They've rolled in paddy wagons.

UPDATE 11:46 a.m.: Virginia Kice of ICE talks to our Bob Doran and Mike Dronkers on KHUM. It's an ongoing investigation. A number of individuals will likely be taken into custody: suspected immigrants, that is. Company executives were not mentioned. They expect to be there into the afternoon.

Kice will not say how many agents are involved, supposedly "for security reasons." They had "air support" during the operation -- a fixed-wing plane.

"Things have gone very very smoothly so far," Kice says. "The employer has been very cooperative."

Doran has seen three people handcuffed and put into vehicles at the site.

UPDATE, 12:45 p.m.: ICE's Virginia Kice tells the Journal that their current warrant authorizes agents to look for individuals living and/or working in the country illegally -- not company brass. Not at this time, anyway.

"We don't anticipate any criminal arrests today, but I want to emphasize that this is an ongoing investigation," she says.

UPDATE, 12:50 p.m. : Audio ...

Virginia Kice speaks with Mike Dronkers of KHUM:

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Virginia Kice press conference at the gates of Sun Valley:

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