Patrick McDonnell of the Los Angeles Times offers "Computer 'raid' in Vernon leaves factory workers devastated" (link) about a "desktop" immigration raid at Overhill Farms in Vernon. The company was informed that 260 of their workers had problems with their Social Security numbers and they gave those employees 30 days in which to correct the problems. Not a single one did. Then, on the advice of three law firms, they fired those employees, all or almost all of whom were obviously illegal aliens. The company - which is now using eVerify - has since hired replacement workers who are presumably eligible to work in the U.S. and may include a large number of previously unemployed U.S. citizens. The illegal aliens aren't in such a good position, but they can always return home and press their own governments for reform. That would be the best public policy.

Obviously, the LAT and McDonnell have no interest in the best public policy, as he describes how the impact on the illegal aliens was "devastating" and how such raids can "ravage immigrant families". The (most likely posed) photo on the story features a young boy accusing the company's owner of being unjust and racist. There's not a peep in the story about, for instance, how many unemployed U.S. citizens there are in the area who could be working with more "desktop raids".

And, there's this bit of deception:

But the union says Overhill responded rashly. "I think the company acted hastily and unnecessarily," said Peter Schey, a Los Angeles lawyer who represented the union. "Legally, there was nothing that compelled these terminations."

As discussed at the link, Schey is a lot more than just a "Los Angeles lawyer". He's a persistent supporter of massive and illegal immigration who has a series of links to the Mexican government. Avoiding mentioning any of that highly relevant information is standard practice at the Los Angeles Times.

McDonnell also fails to ask the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) which represents the workers about why they're continuing to fight for those who are obviously illegal aliens. That means that UFCW is obtaining their dues from those who are working illegally; how much of the rest of their income is derived from money that was earned illegally?

McDonnell also fails to look into the sociological side of things:

Six of the company's fired workers interviewed at a protest outside the Vernon plant last week insisted that their Social Security numbers were legitimate... "My Social Security number was good all these years, why is it suddenly no good now?"

If those numbers were legitimate, then surely they could have provided proof, especially since they would have no doubt found help from their union. More likely, quotes like the above are indicative of a deep sociological problem, where a good percentage of the Hispanic population doesn't think our laws apply to them or is at least indicative of something less pernicious: they don't have a clue about how our system works and think that a SSN they buy on the street could be valid.

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