Federal immigration authorities arrested 12 illegal immigrants at two Texas businesses on June 9 during a coordinated worksite enforcement operation. The raids were carried out in Harlingen and San Benito by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alongside agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

The operation, led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Rio Grande Valley office, targeted suspected unlawful employment practices.

During the arrests, a female illegal alien allegedly attacked a special agent and is now facing two counts of assault on a federal officer.

All 12 individuals taken into custody are citizens of Mexico and El Salvador. ICE confirmed they are currently undergoing removal proceedings.

Federal law mandates that employers must verify the identity and employment eligibility of their workers using Form I-9. ICE said its I-9 inspection program is a key part of its broader effort to ensure legal hiring and deter unauthorized employment.

According to ICE, worksite enforcement operations frequently overlap with other criminal cases, including those involving human smuggling, trafficking, money laundering, document fraud, and worker exploitation.

It comes after two construction sites in South Padre Island and Brownsville, Texas resulted in the arrest of 25 individuals in the country illegally earlier this month,

ICE confirmed that those arrested were citizens of Mexico and Honduras. All are currently subject to removal proceedings and pending return to their respective countries.

“Today’s arrests reflect ICE’s unwavering commitment to upholding the integrity of our immigration system and protecting our nation’s workforce. Individuals who violate federal immigration and employment laws not only undermine fair labor standards but also pose potential security and safety risks. ICE will continue to work with our partners to identify and investigate those who disregard the law and exploit our country’s systems for personal or commercial gain,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee.