I just found out that this Tuesday, 12/12/2006, federal agents raided meat processing plants within 6 states and arrested an unknown number of illegal immigrants. From what I understand, the federal agents exposed a scheme in which illegal immigrants bought the social security numbers and identities of plenty of US households in order to secure work at the Greely-based meat processor Swift & Co. The operations at all Six of the Swift meat processing facilities has been temporarily shut down.

Hopefully the federal government will allow these plants to operate again by lifting the suspension off. Why? Well, not only are the hundreds of US citizens who got their identities stolen victims, but this company has become a victim as well.

The company states that they would have never hired these employees if they have known that they were committing id theft. The Swift company stated that they outsource all of their employee identification research to a government pilot program. Therefore, if we are to blame anyone, let’s blame this company.