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Government arrests Wal-Mart workers on immigration violations

By Suzanne Gamboa
The Associated Press

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The workers, members of cleaning crews that the company hired through a contractor, were arrested as they finished their night shifts at stores in 21 states. All were in the country illegally, according to Garrison Courtney, a spokesman with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark., is the world's largest retailer.

Company spokeswoman Mona Williams confirmed the government is investigating and that stores were raided today 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 Wal-Mart 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, Courtney said. If they had no previous criminal record, they were released with notices to appear before immigration judges.

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.

In midday trading on the New York Stcok Exchange, Wal-Mart shares were up 27 cents at $58.51.

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