Poultry Plant Answers Responsibility Questions on Illegal Workers

After federal agents arrest 100 workers for using fake identities at the Pilgrim's Pride plant, questions arise on how much the company looked into the documents. One worker who came to this country illegally says it was easy for her to get a job. Pilgrims Pride says it has followed all federal immigration law on hiring practices. But it says the current system will not detect identity theft. And immigration agents say approximately 30 percent of all arrested across the country committed identity theft to land jobs.

Native Guatemalan Hilda Lopez came to Chattanooga four years ago. Lopez says four months later she went to work at Pilgrims Pride as Maria Delgado. She says she and most of the other Guatemalan workers paid a guy for fake papers. Lopez says the company asked for papers at hire, but questions stopped once employed.

We asked her if bosses checked her paperwork. Lopez answered through interpreter Tirza Paucar. "They check it and if they find out there are two people that are not working with the same paper, they let you work there."

Pilgrims Pride Director of Corporate Commuications, Ray Atkinson said, "It's federal law if you're presented with documents, if an employer is presented with documents that appear to be genuine on their face, then you have to accept them."

Atkinson says Pilgrims Pride uses several government programs to comply with federal law.