Agricultural Personnel Management Program
University of California

2/20/03  News Report -- The Salt Lake Tribune

The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service arrested more than 100 people working at a safe manufacturing company in Provo on Wednesday.

Local law enforcement agencies aided the operation, said Steve Branch, Salt Lake City INS officer in charge. The INS detained the employees of Champion Safe at an agency office in Orem for further questioning.

Branch would say only that Wednesday's arrests were the culmination of a long investigation. He would not comment on how the INS learned of the immigration violations of the workers, which could range from visa overstay to illegal entry.

"There are a number of businesses we could enforce workplace operations on," Branch said. "It's just when it reaches a certain point . . . enough is enough."

Champion Safe declined to comment.

Branch said he could not break down the nationalities of the workers, but Salt Lake City Mexican Consul Martin Torres said the majority were Mexican nationals. Torres said three consulate employees had gone to Orem to interview the arrested workers.

James Yapias of RAZ-PAC, a Latino advocacy group in Salt Lake City, said several family members of the workers called him Wednesday looking for help. RAZ-PAC members planned to head to Utah County on Wednesday evening to aid the families, he said.

The workers will remain at the Orem office while the INS determines their immigration status and whether they have the right to a hearing, Branch said.

The agency will work with the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute the case.

Branch would not say whether the INS plans more such raids in coming weeks.