While Congress is still deciding the fate of legislation regarding undocumented immigrants, several raids have recently been carried out in 26 states at plants operated by IFCO Systems [maker of wooden pallets and crates]. During these raids, 1,187 undocumented workers and seven current and former managers who hired these workers were arrested.

This large number of immigrant arrests is unprecedented. The managers are accused of transporting and harboring undocumented immigrants, as well as of abetting them in illegally establishing residence in the United States. This was all allegedly done to obtain financial gain from immigrant labor. If convicted, the managers face up to 10 years in prison, and each undocumented worker needs to pay a fine of $250,000.

Meanwhile, the State of Georgia has decided to make life harder for immigrants by passing a law that requires employers to check the immigration status of workers before hiring them. The law also sets punishments for hiring people lacking the proper documents.

Additionally, this law requires that the immigration status be determined for any person requesting welfare benefits from the state or desiring to work for the state as an employee or contractor, as well as for people who have been arrested for felonies. Those accused of illegally smuggling undocumented immigrants into the state or of exploiting immigrants sexually or through forced labor can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. This new law is one of the most drastic in the United States.