Feds Bust 28 Illegal Aliens With Security Clearance At O’Hare Airport
Company knowingly provided them fake security badges:In a string of raids Wednesday, federal and local authorities cracked down on a company that gave illegal aliens fake identity badges so they could work at O’Hare Airport.
Through Ideal Staffing Solutions Inc. — a temporary employment agency based in Bensenville — the undocumented aliens got jobs working on the O’Hare tarmac, loading freight and meals onto commercial airliners. In some case, the workers were able to get through O’Hare security with badges that had been deactivated.
Reports started at 23, but are now up to 28.
WMAQ-TV:
CHICAGO - Twenty-three illegal immigrants were arrested Wednesday after allegedly using fake security badges to work in critical areas at O’Hare International Airport, including the tarmac, authorities said Wednesday.
“The investigation identifies a vulnerability that could compromise national security, while bringing criminal charges against individuals who built an illegal work force into their business practice,” said Elissa A. Brown, special agent in charge for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office of investigations in Chicago. Brown.
The workers were all employed by Ideal Staffing Solutions, Inc., of Bensenville, and were contracted out to work for carriers that included United Airlines, KLM and Qantas, said Elissa A. Brown, special agent in charge for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office of investigations in Chicago.
Mary Gurin, 36, of Carpentersville, and Norinye Benitez, 24, of Franklin Park, were arrested and charged in separate federal complaints with one count of harboring illegal aliens for financial gain and one count of misuse of Social Security numbers, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney?s office.
Federal and local authorities launched an early-morning immigration raid at O?Hare at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday, and ICE agents also executed a federal search warrant at the offices of Ideal Staffing.
According to the criminal complaints unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, more than 100 temporary workers employed by the agency were in possession of fraudulently obtained airport security badges, issued by the City Department of Aviation. The green color-coded badges allow workers to enter secure areas while loading pallets, freight and meals for companies doing business at O?Hare, including commercial airlines, the release said.
Allegedly, Gurin and Benitez told workers they needed to have identification, but that the documents need not be legitimate, the complaint said.
In March, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspector discovered that a majority of the Social Security numbers associated with Ideal Staffing employees were either fake or belonged to other persons. ICE agents reviewed more than 150 airport security badge applications submitted to Aviation for 120 employees of Ideal Staffing and learned that 110 listed Social Security numbers that did not exist or did not belong to the applicant, the release said.
The 23 male workers, now in the custody of the Cook County sheriff?s police, face state felony charges for possession of fraudulent ID in the form of an airport security badge, the release said. The arrestees, who are all illegal aliens from Mexico, face deportation after their state cases are adjudicated.
If convicted, Gurin and Benitez each face up to 10 years in prison for harboring illegal aliens and five years for misuse of a Social Security number. The 23 others face up to three years incarceration for the state felony charges.
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Just hard working Mexicans. Leave em alone for Christ sake
November 8th, 2007 at 11:43 am“temporary employment agency”…thats a great business to use as a host for criminal and terrorist activities
November 8th, 2007 at 11:51 amThey are focus on hard working people that are praying for a better life; when as far as I am aware O’Hare had the lowest TSA security for their passangers. Why not spend money on better security and not on expansion? I just can’t seem to understand this world.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:04 pmHey Paul,
How much money would it take for some criminal or terrorist to ‘buy’ one of those illegal aliens? Let’s see a million dollars (or so?) to poison some first-class meals on a plane where a high profile business traveler is to due to fly out on? Maybe just poison a whole plane full of families flying to Orlando to see Mickey Mouse or some of the young and beautiful looking for action in Vegas? At least one of them would jump at the chance. They wouldn’t know what the substance is, they wouldn’t know who is paying them and they wouldn’t want to. They would just do what they had to do to get their hands on the money. If the illegal hit the road as soon as the task was completed, they would have a pretty good chance to make it ‘home’ before anyone know what happened and with enough money to last 10 lifetimes. Just hard working Mexicans, possibly but there is too much potential danger to ignore.
Next time you fly, enjoy your meal.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:18 pmThis is a criminal activity…it is a breach in our security…this group was ratted out from another bust…don’t hate the workers, just the organizers who may indeed be from the ME…
For all those who are to stupid to get it … research the FBI resource library
November 8th, 2007 at 12:30 pm“Just hard working Mexicans, leave ‘em alone…”
“Hard working people praying for a better life…”
Get a grip. ILLEGALS ignore our laws, steal SSNs / obtain false IDs, overburden our jails, hospitals, schools, etc. all at the EXPENSE of YOU & ME, the American citizen.
ILLEGALS are the perfect ‘mark’ for anyone with $$$ seeking access to restricted airport areas.
November 8th, 2007 at 12:41 pmEver been to O’Hare? I can’t believe what a disorganized, run down dump it is. If I were a terrorist and wanted to slip something by on a plane, I’d do it at O’Hare. I was actually a bit frightened thinking of the possibilities while I was there. I will try to route my flights away from O’Hare.
November 8th, 2007 at 1:11 pmJett you are right on the $$.
If these hard working people from whatever country they come from want a better life there are two ways to do it.
November 8th, 2007 at 1:27 pm1. Come to America legally!!
2. Work hard in your own country and make it better from the inside out!!!
Hard working illegals who should worry about fixing their own country before draining the resources over here. I hate that BS excuse. Jett you forgot traffic too. Driving in Los Angeles on a freeway is like driving through a school zone at 2:30pm. Try driving on “day without a mexican day” where they stay home from work to prove how our economy slows down. The difference in traffic is night and day.
November 8th, 2007 at 1:38 pmGotta love Mayor Daley, sanctuary city, sanctuary airport… what do you expect from a democratic state and a major democratic city… Luckily, I don’t live in Illinois, just commute to the windy city…
November 8th, 2007 at 2:17 pmAkrock, I hate that whiney “Hard working illegals” liberal horseshit. There’s a keyword in that statement. The word is ILLEGAL ! Deport every damned one ASAP.
The difference in traffic is night and day because the aliens, who can’t drive worth a damn are off the road at home. It only takes a few dumbasses on the road to screw up traffic.
November 8th, 2007 at 2:32 pm