Immigration Raid At Mcdonald's Restaurants Nets More Than 40 Arrests

RENO, Nev. (AP) _ Federal agents raided 11 McDonald's restaurants in northern Nevada and made more than 40 arrests Thursday as part of an investigation into illegal immigration. <br/><br/>Agents for

Thursday, September 27th 2007, 8:24 pm

By: News On 6

RENO, Nev. (AP) _ Federal agents raided 11 McDonald's restaurants in northern Nevada and made more than 40 arrests Thursday as part of an investigation into illegal immigration.

Agents for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made the arrests in Reno, Sparks and Fernley after raids at the restaurants and a franchise corporate office in Reno, agency spokesman Richard Rocha said.

``They are people suspected of being in the country illegally. As far as I know, they were all McDonald's employees,'' he said.

Rocha declined to identify the franchise owner or owners. Details about the investigation are sealed in federal court documents, he said.

A spokeswoman for McDonald's Corp., based in Oak Brook, Ill., said the company would issue a statement.

Hispanic leaders and representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union scheduled a news conference to respond to the arrests.

The investigation began five months ago and was sparked by an identity theft complaint, Rocha said. A local law enforcement agency then gave ICE information that illegal immigrants were working at specific McDonald's restaurants, he said.

``It is a targeted investigation. These are targeted sites,'' Rocha said. ``ICE does not conduct random sweeps.''