actsnoblemartin
10-03-2007, 04:01 PM
http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7144925
Stolen Identity of Fernley Woman May Have Prompted I.C.E. Raids
A puzzling W-2 form prompted last week's raids on eleven McDonald's stores in Reno and Fernley.
A Fernley woman, whose name was not immediately available, became suspicious when she received a W-2 form early this year that reported more income than she had earned.
The woman soon discovered someone at the Fernley McDonald's where she used to work had been using her identity.
Lyon County Sheriff's Sergeant Russ Cadwallader says an initial investigation determined both the employee and a manager of that McDonald's had been using stolen identities.
Last week, agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency raided the eleven stores, including the one in Fernley and arrested 54 workers suspected of being in this country illegally.
Eight have been deported to Mexico because of prior immigration violations. Sixteen remain in custody at detention centers and the rest were released for humanitarian reasons and are awaiting an appearance before an immigration judge next week.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There continues to be fallout over the immigration arrests in Reno, Sparks and Fernley yesterday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers swept eleven McDonalds Restaurants and its corporate office. At least 56 people were arrested during the raids. ICE Officials say eight people remain jailed and another 16 are in custody or have been deported.
Business owners up and down Wells Avenue say they've seen their walk-in traffic plummet Friday. And others say there's still a feeling of fear and uncertainty in the Hispanic community.
At the El Salvadoran restaurant on Wells Avenue, the lunchtime crowd numbered only a few.
Francisco Gutierrez/Restaurant Owner: "Usually there are 15-20 people here," Francisco Gutierrez said. "Now there are only five people in the restaurant."
And it was the same story up and down the street, where merchants reported seeing fewer people than ever walk through their doors. They blame Thursday's immigration raids and the fear that lingers. Thursday's raids prompted dozens of phone calls to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, where crisis intervention counselors tried to help clients who are in the country illegally.
"We told them," Sylvia Gonzalez said. "Stay in the house, don't answer the door and don't answer the phone. We haven't been able to contact 3 or 4 of them. We don't know if someone went and got their kids. We're hoping they're okay."
Some were left wondering how to tell their children what was happening.
"My kids are in sports," Elidania Guillen said. "And they took their coach. It's terrible."
Those who opposed the raids were urging customers to stage boycotts, refusing to show up for work to protest the action. But at Super Burrito, manager Patricia Favela said shutting her doors wasn't the way to handle the controversy.
"We can do other things like sending letters to our senators," Favela said. "And trying to help in other ways. But closing the business is not a good idea."
Some businesses, including some landscaping operations and warehouses saw a lot of workers stay home, apparently out of fear they would be arrested.
Some of those illegal immigrants who were arrested are now separated. The biggest concern addressed from the Hispanic community is the fact that parents who were arrested yesterday are now separated from their children. ICE Officers say Washoe County Social Services were present at the processing center where the illegal workers were being held. None of the minors are in protective custody right now. They are either staying with other family members or have been reunited with their parents.
" Some of these individuals who have been arrested were the sole care giver of the child then we will release them so that child will not be left alone without supervision." ICE Spokesperson Michael Keegan said.
The Humanitarian relief applies to 30 of the 54 people who were detained. they are now back with their children, awaiting court dates. an immigration judge will then decide if they will be deported or receive a temporary work permit.
At a protest outside the McDonalds Headquarters on Friday, News 4 spoke to one woman who was arrested.
She told us her 11-year-old daughter was hysterical all day long, anxious over the fate of her mother.
"I'm told the judge will decide whether they gets a work permit or they has to leave voluntarily," the woman said.
That was a common sentiment. Other people said many women would chose leaving the country with their kids, rather than being separated from them.
At lease one week prior to the raid, rumors were circulating among the Hispanic community that immigration officials might be in town.
They all say it's much like the story of the boy who cried wolf. These people heard the rumors, but they didn't believe it could happen in Reno.
The calls started trickling in around 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
"People that work at the airport mentioned there were a bunch of agents," Jose Luis Alvarez said. "About 300, and that they come to get people"
But local Spanish television stations were reporting the possibility of a raid as early as last week. Many didn't believe it could happen in the Biggest Little City.
Local community leaders could not confirm where the rumors originated. But Spanish news outlets like "La Mega" say calls like Thursday's are not uncommon.
"They call and say, 'I see a minivan, an excursion, something white, so they call Mega'" Alvarez said.
Stolen Identity of Fernley Woman May Have Prompted I.C.E. Raids
A puzzling W-2 form prompted last week's raids on eleven McDonald's stores in Reno and Fernley.
A Fernley woman, whose name was not immediately available, became suspicious when she received a W-2 form early this year that reported more income than she had earned.
The woman soon discovered someone at the Fernley McDonald's where she used to work had been using her identity.
Lyon County Sheriff's Sergeant Russ Cadwallader says an initial investigation determined both the employee and a manager of that McDonald's had been using stolen identities.
Last week, agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency raided the eleven stores, including the one in Fernley and arrested 54 workers suspected of being in this country illegally.
Eight have been deported to Mexico because of prior immigration violations. Sixteen remain in custody at detention centers and the rest were released for humanitarian reasons and are awaiting an appearance before an immigration judge next week.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There continues to be fallout over the immigration arrests in Reno, Sparks and Fernley yesterday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers swept eleven McDonalds Restaurants and its corporate office. At least 56 people were arrested during the raids. ICE Officials say eight people remain jailed and another 16 are in custody or have been deported.
Business owners up and down Wells Avenue say they've seen their walk-in traffic plummet Friday. And others say there's still a feeling of fear and uncertainty in the Hispanic community.
At the El Salvadoran restaurant on Wells Avenue, the lunchtime crowd numbered only a few.
Francisco Gutierrez/Restaurant Owner: "Usually there are 15-20 people here," Francisco Gutierrez said. "Now there are only five people in the restaurant."
And it was the same story up and down the street, where merchants reported seeing fewer people than ever walk through their doors. They blame Thursday's immigration raids and the fear that lingers. Thursday's raids prompted dozens of phone calls to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, where crisis intervention counselors tried to help clients who are in the country illegally.
"We told them," Sylvia Gonzalez said. "Stay in the house, don't answer the door and don't answer the phone. We haven't been able to contact 3 or 4 of them. We don't know if someone went and got their kids. We're hoping they're okay."
Some were left wondering how to tell their children what was happening.
"My kids are in sports," Elidania Guillen said. "And they took their coach. It's terrible."
Those who opposed the raids were urging customers to stage boycotts, refusing to show up for work to protest the action. But at Super Burrito, manager Patricia Favela said shutting her doors wasn't the way to handle the controversy.
"We can do other things like sending letters to our senators," Favela said. "And trying to help in other ways. But closing the business is not a good idea."
Some businesses, including some landscaping operations and warehouses saw a lot of workers stay home, apparently out of fear they would be arrested.
Some of those illegal immigrants who were arrested are now separated. The biggest concern addressed from the Hispanic community is the fact that parents who were arrested yesterday are now separated from their children. ICE Officers say Washoe County Social Services were present at the processing center where the illegal workers were being held. None of the minors are in protective custody right now. They are either staying with other family members or have been reunited with their parents.
" Some of these individuals who have been arrested were the sole care giver of the child then we will release them so that child will not be left alone without supervision." ICE Spokesperson Michael Keegan said.
The Humanitarian relief applies to 30 of the 54 people who were detained. they are now back with their children, awaiting court dates. an immigration judge will then decide if they will be deported or receive a temporary work permit.
At a protest outside the McDonalds Headquarters on Friday, News 4 spoke to one woman who was arrested.
She told us her 11-year-old daughter was hysterical all day long, anxious over the fate of her mother.
"I'm told the judge will decide whether they gets a work permit or they has to leave voluntarily," the woman said.
That was a common sentiment. Other people said many women would chose leaving the country with their kids, rather than being separated from them.
At lease one week prior to the raid, rumors were circulating among the Hispanic community that immigration officials might be in town.
They all say it's much like the story of the boy who cried wolf. These people heard the rumors, but they didn't believe it could happen in Reno.
The calls started trickling in around 6 a.m. Thursday morning.
"People that work at the airport mentioned there were a bunch of agents," Jose Luis Alvarez said. "About 300, and that they come to get people"
But local Spanish television stations were reporting the possibility of a raid as early as last week. Many didn't believe it could happen in the Biggest Little City.
Local community leaders could not confirm where the rumors originated. But Spanish news outlets like "La Mega" say calls like Thursday's are not uncommon.
"They call and say, 'I see a minivan, an excursion, something white, so they call Mega'" Alvarez said.