December 20, 2006

Swift and Company sued under RICO Act

From this:

A spokesman for Swift & Co. says a lawsuit filed recently by eighteen former Swift & Co. employees is "completely without merit." The $23-million lawsuit alleges that the meat packing company conspired to manipulate and depress the labor market and wages by hiring illegal immigrants.

The lawsuit, filed late Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, alleges that defendants including Swift and its owners, HM Capital Partners LLC in Dallas -- formerly Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst -- engaged in an "enterprise that grossly affected commerce through a pattern of racketeering activity" in violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act...

I heard one of the lawyers on KFI's John & Ken Show a day or two ago. Most of the plaintiffs are Mexican-Americans and legal Hispanic immigrants. However, he didn't seem to sure of the suit, and J & K seemed to think it might be a bit of a fishing expedition.

Posted to Immigration at December 20, 2006 02:11 PM

Comments

Tyson, Swift, next...Jennie-O? Gonzales, your organized crime prosecutors, and prosecutions, are most notably (notoriously?) absent from the news. Feel free to jump in anytime.

Posted by: Jeebie at December 20, 2006 10:17 PM

I’ve noted that much has been made of the apparel that ICE agents were wearing, and the size of the force involved in the raids. I find this irrelevent and obvious pandering to the choir and just short of vilifying them as storm troopers. The pundit’s assessment is hindsight at best and irresponsible at worst. I suggest that ICE was prepared for resistance and that there was no way of knowing whether their fellow union members would defend their illegal alien colleagues. Ever get into a fight with someone whose work involves heaving large animal carcasses about? It takes at least a two of three to one ratio in officers to avoid resorting to leathal weapons and subdue a person without serious injury to either side. No doubt they would have been pillaried for showing up unprepared if a riot had broken out and someone had been hurt.

Posted by: Horace at December 21, 2006 01:15 PM