Illegal immigrants arrested from poultry plant

Most of the workers arrested at the George’s Processing Inc. plant in Butterfield were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, according to Pete Baird, an agent in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigations office in Kansas City.

Baird added that the arrests were part of a probe into identity theft and false documents, including stolen Social Security numbers, allegedly used by illegal immigrants. Three people pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud, and one person has been indicted.

“These work site enforcement actions help reduce the job magnet that encourages aliens to enter the country illegally,” Baird said.

ICE spokesman Tim Counts said no charges have been filed against George’s and declined to say whether the company knew it was hiring illegal aliens.