24 Illegal Immigrants Arrested Using Fake Badges to Work at O'Hare Intl Airport

[Woodmonkey]

Two Dozen Illegal Immigrants Arrested Using Fake Badges to Work at O'Hare International Airport


Nearly two dozen illegal immigrants were arrested Wednesday, accused of using fake security badges to work in critical areas of O'Hare International Airport, including the tarmac, authorities said.

The 23 illegal workers were employed by Ideal Staffing Solutions Inc., whose corporate secretary and office manager also were arrested after an eight-month investigation that involved federal, state and Chicago authorities.

The company contracted work for carriers including United Airlines, KLM and Qantas, said Elissa A. Brown, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

"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," Brown said.

Ideal Staffing officials did not return a telephone message left after business hours Wednesday by The Associated Press.

Much of the investigation centered on the airport security badges issued by the Department of Aviation, said U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald. Agents found that 110 of the 134 badges issued to Ideal Staffing workers did not match the individuals who carried them, he said.

The discrepancies were first noted in March by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspector, Fitzgerald said.

"If we are to ensure public safety, we must know who has access to the secure areas of airports," Fitzgerald said. "A fundamental component of airport safety is preventing the use of false identification badges, and punishing those who commit or enable such violations."

Mary Gurin, 36, of Carpentersville, and Norinye Benitez, 24, of Franklin Park, were each charged with one federal count of harboring illegal immigrants for gain and one federal count of misuse of Social Security numbers. They were scheduled for a preliminary appearance later Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Brown said.

Benitez is believed to be an illegal immigrant from Mexico, and Gurin employed her and signed her airport badge application while knowing her illegal status, Brown said.

The workers arrested, 21 from Mexico and two from Guatemala, were being held in the Cook County jail. They face state criminal charges and deportation, Brown said.

According to affidavits in a complaint against Gurin and Benitez unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, the applications for the 110 bogus badges listed Social Security numbers that either did not exist or belonged to other individuals, some of whom were dead.

One affidavit from a temporary worker who cooperated with authorities said Benitez told him to look through a box containing about 20 airport security badges and to pick one with a picture that resembled his own face.

The affidavits allege that Ideal Staffing told workers they needed to have identification, but that the documents did not have to be legitimate, and also accused the company of supplying some workers with deactivated badges issued in other names.

Brown, Fitzgerald and other officials declined to answer questions about how workers could use deactivated badges to enter secure areas of the airport, saying that the investigation continued and that not all details could be revealed.

Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine said his office has issued more than 100 arrest warrants in the case.

Source

[Betty Boop]

According to affidavits in a complaint against Gurin and Benitez unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, the applications for the 110 bogus badges listed Social Security numbers that either did not exist or belonged to other individuals, some of whom were dead.

Well, if the dead can vote in Chicago, why should it surprise anyone that they can also work?

It's rather frightening to know that as a passenger you must present your ID at least twice, are then screened, sometimes searched, and then sometimes re-searched in order to board a plane in the name of national security but that the people who screen you or who fuel your jet or handle your baggage are not just as stringently controlled.

Glad they are making the arrests and hope they find all 100 they intend to arrest in this. Most especially I hope that if the allegations are true, that "the suits" for Ideal Staffing are not just arrested but they are imprisoned for all of the rest of their natural lived days. To knowingly and willingly compromise the lives of other Americans should be considered a treasonous act against the people of the United States!

[BrianK]

Shouldn't there be some kind of alert within the Soc. Sec. system that a dead person was alive again & working?

Then there is the idea that non existent soc. sec. numbers are being used. How is it that the soc. sec system doesn't know that the numbers used and money coming into that account number weren't issued by the soc sec. administration?

In all these articles I've never seen anything about where the phoney identification is being generated. I don't know what kind of penalty goes along with generating phony ID's but considering the use I'd recommend life in prison & some instances being tried as a traitor.

[Woodmonkey]

I heard on the news that the number of illegals is now up to 36. All this at one airport, what about the others?

Brian, sometimes they just steal someone else's identity and SOC.

[leobold1]

But the illegal immigration problem is in no way related to National Security.

How many airports also double as Air National Guard Bases?

What kind of vehicles were used on 9/11?

How much more is it gonna take to wake people up to the fact that these illegals from Central and South America could instead be illegals from Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, etc...?

[BrianK]

Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

I heard on the news that the number of illegals is now up to 36. All this at one airport, what about the others?

Brian, sometimes they just steal someone else's identity and SOC.

Stolen ID and using soc. sec. should show up somehow. I understnad some people work two jobs but when it comes to dollars going into accounts there is a limit. Not likely also that someone with a part time job would generate the kind of income two full time jobs would.

If nothing else triggering a suspicion would seem reasonable. What I think. With all the technology there is, this area of potential isn't being given attention.

[sabadgeman]

Originally Posted by Betty Boop

It's rather frightening to know that as a passenger you must present your ID at least twice, are then screened, sometimes searched, and then sometimes re-searched in order to board a plane in the name of national security but that the people who screen you or who fuel your jet or handle your baggage are not just as stringently controlled.

Its called making a smoke screen Joe Public has been fed the Bull excrement that this kind of stuff is needed that they now feel safe when they are herded prodded poked and searched in the name of security. If it's not done they feel frightened.