ONE PROBLEM WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Depressing blue-collar wages:

100 arrested at Wal-Mart construction site
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press Writer
Nov 18, 9:17 AM EST

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- Federal immigration agents detained more than 100 workers at a construction site for a new Wal-Mart distribution center, authorities said. At least 120 illegal immigrants, most of them from Mexico, were detained, Schuylkill County Sheriff Frank McAndrew said. He said he began investigating the site and contacted federal officials after getting complaints from local tradespeople.

"You've got a situation here where illegal immigrants are coming into Schuylkill County and taking (local union workers') jobs for eight bucks an hour. They are working for poverty wages, and creating unemployment because our skilled tradesmen are out of work," McAndrew said.

In 2003, a raid of 60 Wal-Mart stores in 21 states led to the arrests of 245 illegal workers. An affidavit claimed a pair of senior Wal-Mart executives knew cleaning contractors were hiring illegal immigrants. The retailer agreed to pay $11 million in March to settle the case but denied senior executives knew of the hirings.