Undocumented Woes

Department of Justice fines grower for pattern of hiring illegals

Eurofresh Farms, Wilcox, Ariz., a year-round grower of greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers, has reached a settlement with the United States Department of Justice over the hiring and employment of unauthorized workers going back more than 10 years. The company pleaded guilty for “knowingly hiring and engaging in a pattern and practice of employing unauthorized aliens,” according to the agency. The court issued a criminal forfeiture against Eurofresh Farms for $600,000 and ordered the company to remain on probation for five years.

“This judgment is a message to other employers who engage in illegal practices that there is a real cost to their actions,” said U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke. “We will continue to work with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security to ensure our nation’s laws are followed.”

“Through the hard work and dedication of ICE and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eurofresh will be paying a significant penalty for circumventing our laws,” said Matt Allen, special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona. “Easy access to employment is a clear driver for illegal immigration into the United States, and by holding companies responsible for their criminal behavior, we will reduce that draw.”

The government claimed Eurofresh employed 17 unauthorized workers, who were hired by a former human resources director between 2000 and 2003. He was fired and in 2007 pleaded guilty to knowingly hiring illegal aliens. He is awaiting sentencing, but claimed in an Aug. 27 Arizona Daily Star newspaper article that top managers knew about the hiring practices and that the actual number of illegals employed was more than 1,000.
The company disputes the claim, as evidenced by firing Ward in 2006 and voluntarily turning over details of the case to the Department of Justice in 2007. Management was unaware of the practices and the government has not found evidence to charge Eurofresh management, according to the company.

“Eurofresh does not tolerate illegal activities and regrets that a former employee engaged in illegal conduct more than five years ago,” said Johan van den Berg, chief executive officer of Eurofresh Farms. “The Eurofresh management team is diligent about conducting business with the utmost attention to ethical and legal practices. Upon discovering the wrongful hiring practices, Eurofresh Farms acted swiftly to implement new procedures, conduct regular audits and use the federal E-Verify system to ensure full compliance with immigration laws.