FORT BENNING, Ga. - Twenty-one illegal aliens who attempted to enter a U.S. Army post here to do construction work on soldiers’ barracks face federal charges today for identity theft and immigration violations. 

The 21 defendants are among the 24 illegal alien workers arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Army security personnel at Fort Benning Wednesday.  The defendants will make their initial appearance in federal court in Columbus, Ga. later today.  Nine of the men are charged in a complaint with either possessing or using fraudulent identity documents.  One is accused in a complaint of re-entering the country after deportation.  The remaining 11 defendants are charged in an information with improper entry by an alien, a misdemeanor. 

The arrests are the result of a seven-month, multi-agency investigation involving ICE, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.   The U.S. Marshals Service provided support for Wednesday’s enforcement action.

According to prosecutors, many of the workers targeted in the probe used counterfeit identity documents to obtain their jobs.  Three of the aliens actually entered the United States legally, but their eligibility to remain in the country has since expired.  Those aliens who are not facing criminal prosecution will be placed in immigration removal proceedings.  The group includes 20 Mexican nationals, three Guatemalans, and one Italian. 

The arrests are part of ICE’s worksite enforcement efforts focusing on critical infrastructure facilities -- including airports, utilities, and military bases.  Unauthorized workers with access to such sites are vulnerable to exploitation by terrorists, smugglers, traffickers, or other criminals.  Fort Benning is home to the U.S. Army’s infantry school. 

“Safeguarding critical infrastructure sites such as Fort Benning is one of ICE’s enforcement priorities,” said Kenneth Smith, special agent in charge of ICE’s Office of Investigation in Atlanta. “When a person uses fraud or false documents to obtain a job, they mask not only their identities, but also their motives and criminal history if they have one.” 

Since the creation of ICE in March 2003, the agency has dramatically enhanced its efforts to combat the unlawful employment of illegal aliens in the United States.  ICE has developed a comprehensive strategy for effective worksite enforcement aimed at promoting national security, protecting critical infrastructure, and ensuring fair labor standards.

As part of the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents prioritize worksite enforcement efforts by focusing on sites related to critical infrastructure and national security. Unauthorized workers employed at sensitive facilities – such as nuclear plants, chemical plants, military bases, defense facilities, airports and seaports – pose serious homeland security threats.

In July 2006, ICE conducted a similar operation resulting in the arrest of nearly 60 illegal aliens at Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

-- ICE --