Published: October 20, 2008 08:03 pm      

ICE to investigate complaint involving workers in Tazewell

TAZEWELL, Va. — A complaint involving a group of alleged immigrant workers in Tazewell County has been turned over to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, officials said Monday.

The Virginia State Police responded to a report of suspicious activity Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on U.S. Route 460 about a mile from Fort Witten after several motorists spotted a tractor trailer on the side of the four-lane where about 55 immigrant workers were loading greenery, Sgt. Michael Conroy, of the Virginia State Police Wytheville Fourth District Area Headquarters, said.

“The trooper went to investigate it, and it turned out to be a bunch of workers hired by a trucking company to load up greenery on the side of the road,” Conroy said.

“Most of the workers there couldn’t produce any type of identification. So the trooper got the information, and called ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” he said.

Conroy said the incident will be handled by ICE. Conroy said the state police will not file any charges as a result of the complaint because there was no indication of illegal activity.

“We can’t arrest somebody simply because their immigration status is in question,” Conroy said. “That’s not something we can enforce. There wasn’t any state statutes we could enforce.”

Conroy said the motorists who reported the suspicious activity did the correct thing.

“We appreciate the citizens calling in the suspicious activity,” Conroy said.

Conroy said many of the callers were concerned that the immigrant workers represented a potential traffic hazard because the greenery was being loaded onto the truck at a close proximity to Route 460.

Trooper D.E. Olinger investigated the incident for the Virginia State Police.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com