Federal Officials Raid Local Oskaloosa Business
Federal agents and local law enforcement converged on Oskaloosa Family Restaurant Thursday in a 3 city sweep by federal agents (photo by Don Hubbard)
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The normally fairly packed restaurant nestled at the intersection of Highway 92 and 23 became the scene of a criminal investigation on Thursday morning.
Agents from ICE and the IRS, along with assistance from the Oskaloosa Police Department and the Mahaska County Sheriffs Department, were on scene. During the investigation, officers were observed informing patrons that the restaurant was temporarily closed.
Employees that were not arrested for the immigration violations were not detained.
“And now there’s a lot of legal citizens that are out of work,” said one employee who wished to remain anonymous.
“The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations is acknowledging they executed search warrants today and that during the execution of those warrants 18 people were arrested for administrative immigration violations.” Kevin VanderSchel said. VanderSchel is from the US Attorneys Office in Des Moines.
Shawn Neudauer, Public Affairs Officer for U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), provided the following statement in regards to the criminal investigation that continues. “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants in Pella, Oskaloosa and Newton, Iowa today. During the execution of these warrants 18 people were arrested for administrative immigration violations. Since this is an ongoing criminal investigation, no further information can be released at this time.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are special agents that handle federal criminal investigations and is a subdivision of ICE. In the federal government, if you’re a criminal investigator, you’re a special agent. “What they do is investigate crimes like trafficking, smuggling, drugs, gangs.” Neudauer compared the new HSI Special Agents to what was previously knows as Customs Agents.
According to Neudauer, “The actual definition of administrative immigration violation simply means that the person is here illegally, or has violated, in some way, the terms and conditions of their legal entry into the United States.”
Agents executed the warrants in today’s raids looking for evidence to support a criminal investigation. Until that investigation is complete, representatives of those respective agencies said they have no further comment beyond what has already been issued.
I posed the question to Neudauer about reports that agents had also raided residences. “I can’t go into the locations, unfortunately. That’s part of the criminal investigation.”
