15 illegal immigrants from Carol Stream cleaning firm arrested

WHITING, Ind. -- Federal immigration agents have arrested 15 illegal immigrants working as contract janitors at the BP refinery in Whiting, Ind.

The 11 men and four women arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement worked for an Illinois janitorial company. Fourteen are from Mexico, and one is from Guatemala.

A spokeswoman for United Building Maintenance in Carol Stream, Ill., declined to comment.

ICE spokesman Gary Hartwig says there's no indication the workers were a safety threat, although he says there could be security issues with illegal immigrants working in secure areas of one of the nation's largest oil refineries.

Hartwig says all will go through deportation proceedings. Each case will also be reviewed for possible criminal charges.

BP spokesman Scott Dean says the company cooperated with investigators and no BP employees were targets of the investigation.