Manufacturer Fined $3,000 for Illegal Hiring

U. S. immigration officials have levied a $3,000 fine against an Oxnard manufacturing firm, stemming from a raid earlier this year in which 52 illegal immigrants were discovered in the workplace.

Waterway industries was fined for failing to properly complete employment records required under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, according to Michael Molloy, agent in charge of the Ventura County Border Patrol station.

The law provides for fines and even jail terms for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers or who fail to properly record an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States.

Waterway was not found to have knowingly hired illegal immigrants, Molloy said. Border Patrol agents have been working with company officials to improve their screening process for new hires.

“We’re not out to break companies,” Molloy said. “We’re out to get them into compliance with the law.”

Armed with a search warrant, federal agents descended on Waterway in March, culminating a three-month investigation into counterfeit employment documents.

Immigration officials began investigating the company late last year after an audit of employment records revealed that more than half of its 124 employees had counterfeit documents.

The 52 undocumented workers found during the March raid were arrested and deported.