Immigration agents arrest 114 in sting at Ohio landscaper

Sandusky, Ohio — U.S. immigration agents made more than 100 arrests Tuesday at a gardening and landscaping company, aided by about 200 law enforcement workers in one of the largest employer stings in recent years.

The 114 arrests occurred at two locations of Corso’s Flower & Garden Center, one in Sandusky, a resort city on Lake Erie, and another in nearby Castalia. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it expected criminal charges including identity theft and tax evasion.

No criminal charges have been filed against Corso’s, but the employer is under investigation, authorities said. Two locations were searched, and Khaalid Walls, an agency spokesman, said “a large volume of business documents” were seized.

The large-scale operation, assisted by aerial surveillance, is part of the Trump administration’s increasing focus on employers that hire people in the country illegally, one that took hold about a year after the president took office, and came months after a surge in deportation arrests began.

In April, agents made about 100 worker arrests at a meatpacking plant in rural Tennessee, another high-profile show of force reminiscent of President George W. Bush’s administration. No criminal charges have been filed against the employer.

Tuesday’s operation was carried out with quiet efficiency. At the Castalia facility — covered with trees, flowers and greenhouse tarps — no workers were seen running as about 100 law enforcement officials established a perimeter. A voice on a radio called attention to specific employees who might try to flee, but none did.

Corso’s did not return a message seeking comment on the operation.

Corso’s describes itself as a family-owned company that serves seven states with a 160,000-square-foot greenhouse and additional 200,000 square feet to grow perennials. Its Sandusky facility is on the city’s busiest road amid hotels and fastfood joints that cater to tourists who drive by in the summer on their way to Lake Erie and Cedar Point amusement park.

Securing such sprawling facilities typically involves an enormous law enforcement presence to secure the perimeters.

JOHN MINCHILLO/AP PHOTO Government agents take suspects into custody during an immigration sting at Corso’s Flower and Garden Center on Tuesday in Castalia, Ohio. The operation is one of the largest against employers in recent years on allegations of violating immigration laws.