Several homes and a Chinese restaurant were raided by ICE agents simultaneously in St. Charles, Missouri last week with dozens of workers taken into custody and two indicted for harboring illegal aliens.
After the Sept. 4 raid, an indictment was handed down for two migrants, De Jin Ye and Guo Liang Ye, who reportedly own the Golden Apple Buffet in St. Charles, KSDK-TV reported.
One home that was raided is reportedly owned by Ye Investment II LLC. Neighbors told the media that they witnessed a constant parade of dozens of different people going in and out of the home. Witnesses also said that a white van would pick people up and drop them off each evening.
A second home was raided in St. Peters and more than a dozen were taken into custody at that location, as well. Witnesses told KPLR-TV that more than 20 people were seen going in and out of the home every day.
Guo Liang Ye and De Jin Ye, both 56, are facing felony charges in the Eastern District of Missouri, court records show. Federal prosecutors allege that the pair concealed, harbored, and shielded people who entered the United States illegally, according to St. Louis Public Radio station STLPR.
The charges carry a penalty of up to ten years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Golden Apple Buffet restaurant has been closed down and a note was posted on its doors saying, “Closed Till Further Notice.”
The St. Charles County Department of Public Health issued a statement saying that they participated in the immigration action.
“The St. Charles City Police called upon the St. Charles County Department of Public Health on Tuesday to help aid in their investigation. DPH inspectors served in an advisory role to the police department’s larger criminal investigation, but the restaurant was not ordered closed by the health department,” the statement read.
A spokesman for the restaurant claimed that many of the workers had their proper work authorizations and are not working illegally.
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