NEWS: Dozens of Long Island Gas Stations Raided on Tuesday.

The latest raid by hundreds of federal agents and police officers targeted an organized network of Turkish crime figures who allegedly controlled dozens of gas stations in Long Island.





[edit on 7-7-2004 by Nerdling]

That is great. If they raided convenience stores all across this nation, they would probably find the links to networks building up all over the United States. Not trying to start anything here, but I worked with some people from "other countries" in some of these stores, and it used to amaze me how many different names and IDS they all had. One of them told me a story about his life in the "middle east" and then threatened me that if I ever told anyone what he told me, that "they" would find me AND my family and then he drew a line across his neck. He kept that going for the rest of the time I worked in that store. I didn't think that was very polite of him. Another chain of convenience stores that i worked for in this town has slowly but surely removed every american worker and are replacing them with workers from their country. Lots of people with more than one different name per person. And when I see this, and realize that the very vast majority of this group are men in their early 20's, who refuse to show the common respect you would treat a pig with to the american women they worked with, I have to sit in wonder. Its quite amazing. Then, in this motel I worked in in another state, there was quite the immigration scam going on. I find it amazing that this stuff goes on so openly. It makes you wonder how our "government" could miss things going on so openly. Can anyone say STUPID. And I do feel sorry for some of the people coming over here. It doesn't appear to me that they have a choice.

This is good news but this would never have happened if we would just tighten security on our borders. For whatever reason we keep our borders so opened up that illegals just cross without a patrol to stop them.

Lily, I feel for ya. It's not just convenience stores and hotels, either. Up around Torrington, WY. there are alot of farmers who hire illegal immigrants for cheap labor during harvesting season. A 'friend' (no more) told me about a couple times when feds showed up and all but 2 workers (the only legal ones) showed up to work that day. In Nebraska it is even more wide spread because of the wheat and corn. There has been a openly known problem with this since I can remember. Generally the workers make less than $5 an hour (which is paid 'under the table' in cash), plus they get to bunk out in the barns and get crap meals if they are lucky. I've even heard of a farmer who had illegals come to work for him and they would work until the sun started to go down, then just sleep in the fields and start again as soon as the sun came up, and he got away with paying them a measly $3 an hour!

Really I don't have much of a problem with this stuff (especially during harvest season), but I wish people would at least pay minimum wage and hire people who are carded to legally do seasonal work in the U.S., as it really isn't much of a problem to get seasonal imigration status.

One thing I gotta say, though, is that at least the illegals around here are mainly from Mexico and they aren't involved in crime rings... they just jump the border or overstay their seasonal passes. Just wish they would go about it legally... they would have alot more money to send back to their families that way, due to government regulations on minimum pay.