Immigration push ongoing in the suburbs, official says

An immigration crackdown is under way in the far northern suburbs, federal officials said today.

The enforcement push targets specific individuals who "pose a threat to public safety," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gail Montenegro said.

The push began Sunday night and will continue through the week. Until then, Montenegro declined to say how many people have been targeted for deportation and where the arrests occurred.

Some detentions occurred in Waukegan, sources within the immigrant community said.

This comes as similar crackdowns occurred nationwide.

More than 100 people were detained in a raid at a Koch Foods Inc. chicken plant in Ohio. Federal immigration officials executed search warrants at the company's Chicago headquarters today, and no arrests were made, Montenegro said.

Bush administration leaders unveiled plans to step up enforcement efforts earlier this month.

Workplaces specifically were targeted with employers now required to fire workers unable to clear up problems with their Social Security numbers within 90 days. Business owners who fail to comply risk criminal penalties.

Federal officials deported 5,056 undocumented immigrants during the past nine months from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Missouri, records show.

A reported 7,100 deportations occurred between October 2005 and September 2006, the fiscal year tracked by the federal government. Some 6,600 undocumented immigrants were returned home from October 2004 to September 2005.