Law Firm Hosts Nation’s Top Enforcer of Immigration Laws

Kansas City, MO- Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C. hosted its 2008 Labor, Employment and Benefits Symposium with keynote speaker Julie Myers. Myers is the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ms. Myers leads the nation’s largest investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security, and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. Her informative immigration remarks are a "must-hear" for areas businesses that unknowingly employ illegal aliens.

“With immigration as a key national issue affecting employers, we are honored that our luncheon speaker is in the center of that debate,” said Terry Kilroy, chair of the Labor and Employment Practice Group at Shughart Thomson & Kilroy. “HR executives and business leaders will find her presentation to be timely and informative.”

ICE is responsible for the enforcement of federal immigration and customs laws. Under Ms. Meyers’ leadership, ICE set new records for enforcement activity, including ending the long-standing practice of “catch and release” for apprehended illegal immigrants. In May of 2008, ICE conducted the following:

ICE agents executed a criminal search warrant at Agriprocessors, Inc., in Postville, Iowa, for evidence relating to aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers and other crimes, as well as a civil search warrant for people illegally in the United States.

ICE agents arrested 63 illegal alien workers on administrative immigration violations today during an enforcement action at several outlets of a Bay Area Mexican restaurant chain. The arrests, which occurred at 11 El Balazo restaurants, are part an ongoing ICE investigation.

ICE agents arrested 22 illegal alien workers on administrative immigration violations during separate enforcement actions involving three outlets of two popular chain restaurants on the island of Maui. ICE agents took eight foreign national workers into custody at the Cheeseburger Island Style and Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurants in Wailea and Lahaina as well as 14 illegal aliens who were employed by the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Lahaina. The arrests are part of separate ongoing investigations by ICE.

Prior to her appointment by President Bush on January 4th, 2006, Ms. Myers served as special assistant to the president for presidential personnel. Before that, she was nominated by President Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as assistant secretary for Export Enforcement at the Department of Commerce. As assistant secretary, Ms. Myers supervised a nationwide law enforcement agency that specialized in export control violation, both civil and criminal.

She also previously worked as an assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where she prosecuted a variety of criminal cases, including narcotics violations, financial crimes, immigration violations, securities fraud and other white collar criminal cases.

Ms. Myers received her bachelor's degree from Baylor University and her J.D. from Cornell Law School. She is a native of Shawnee, Kansas.

The Labor, Employment and Benefits Symposium included 13 other “mini” presentations, 15 minutes in length, from Shughart Thomson & Kilroy attorneys ranging in topics from immigration compliance, FLMA changes, regulating off-duty conduct in the workplace, Affirmative Action, NLRB for non-union and union companies and an employer’s guide to social networking sites. A complete schedule of topics and times is available through our Marketing and Public Relations Department, 816-395-0618.

About Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C.
Founded in 1940, the Kansas City-headquartered law firm of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C. (www.stklaw.com), is a full-service, client-focused business law firm with more than 175 attorneys in six offices: Kansas City, Springfield and St. Joseph, Mo.; Overland Park, Kan.; Phoenix, Ariz., and Denver, Colo. Serving corporate, institutional and individual clients regionally, nationally and worldwide, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy is known for successfully applying forward-thinking strategies for both straightforward and complex legal matters.

Author: W. Terrance (Terry) Kilroy
Firm: Polsinelli Shughart PC

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