ORLANDO, Fla. — After federal immigration agents raided the $600 million VA Hospital construction site in Orlando Wednesday, a police report revealed the main contractor for the project knew illegals were working on the site.
Also, one of the three main contractors may have helped hide the illegal immigrants. Wednesday night, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents scoured the buildings, and nine illegal immigrants were caught at the job site; six of them were hiding in the ceiling.
U.S. Senator Bill Nelson did not have specific names of the contractors involved, but the report indicates employees from "Brasfield and Gorrie" may have helped the illegal immigrants hide.
The report shows someone called police claiming an employee used a forklift to conceal the men with scaffolding, and a manager may have also been involved.
"It's one thing to take away American jobs on a commercial project, that's bad enough. But it's adding insult to injury when you take away American jobs on a project paid for by American taxpayers," Nelson said.
According to police, someone had to have "assisted in concealing them" because there was no way for them to get in that area on their own.
"They only found these undocumented workers with cadaver dogs and infrared technology," said Nelson.
Brasfield and Gorrie did not return WFTV's phone calls. It is a company with more than $300 million in federal contracts on the project.
VA did not respond to WFTV either, but has said contractors caught knowingly using illegal immigrants could be taken off the job.
ICE has arrested contractors for harboring illegal workers in the past.
"Does ICE know which contractor hired these specific guys?" WFTV reporter Jeff Deal asked.
"They do, and that investigation is ongoing," Nelson said.
A total of nine illegal immigrants from Mexico were arrested at the site. So far, no other arrests have been made.
Previous Stories: February 10, 2011: 9 In Custody In VA Hospital Immigration Bust
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