WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration unveiled Thursday what it said is a new strategy aimed at companies employing illegal immigrants, illustrating it with a crackdown on the German-based firm IFCO Systems.

Law enforcement officials will "use all the tools we have, whether it be criminal enforcement or immigration laws to break the back" of businesses that exploit undocumented immigrants, said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a news conference.

"We're looking at them in the same way we look at criminal organizations," he said.

Federal immigration authorities arrested nine people linked to IFCO Systems and rounded up more than 1,000 illegal immigrants in multistate raids, federal law enforcement officials said.

Among those arrested and charged in connection with the employment of immigrants are seven current and former managers and two lower-level employees of the company, said U.S. Attorney Glenn Suddaby.

continued... http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/20/immigrat...aids/index.html

Like this is something new?

It's new they're doing something about it... "finally". The only problem is the slap on the wrist an illegal (not undocumented, what a stupid word for this) alien gets before being sent home just to come back again. The punishments should be much more harsh so that people don't want to come back illegally again (ie deterrent), but then again, what's worse than sending someone back to a crappy country they don't want to be in, i guess.

Were yesterday's arrests politically timed? You bet. Just look at the statistics!