Highlights
– US authorities arrested 34 illegal immigrants with fake or deactivated airport security badges that provided access to restricted areas of O’Hare International Airport
– The arrests highlight the security vulnerabilities that remain at risk-sensitive facilities throughout the US, and indicate the potential for extremists or criminals to engage in similar activities to exploit and gain access
On November 7, 2007, US federal and local law enforcement officials executed several raids at O’Hare International Airport, resulting in the arrest of 24 illegal immigrants from Mexico who were using fake security badges to work in restricted areas of the airport. Two days later, immigration officials arrested 10 additional illegal workers also involved in the fake ID scam at the site.
While US officials have indicated that the incident is an immigration issue and that no connection has been found to terrorism at this time, the arrests highlight the continued vulnerabilities at US airports, as well as the potential for extremists to engage in similar activity to gain access to the country’s critical infrastructure.
Details of the Investigation
According to US authorities, two company managers at Ideal Staffing Solutions Inc., a temporary employment company, hired the illegal immigrants and provided them with fake or deactivated airport security badges that allowed them to work loading cargo and food on commercial aircraft at O’Hare, including on airlines such as United Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and Qantas Airways.
The two managers told the workers that they needed identification, although the documents did not need to be legitimate. In one particular instance, one of the managers provided a box with approximately 20 airport security badges to a worker and instructed him to find one with a picture that he closely resembled. The worker then used to the badge to enter restricted areas of the airport, even though federal aviation officials never fingerprinted him. The two involved managers were also arrested during the raids.
The federal probe into Ideal Staffing Solutions began in March 2007, after US officials determined that a large number of social security numbers connected to employees of the company were fake or belonged to other individuals. A further review of airport security badge applications conducted by officials in October 2007 showed that 110 out of 120 had social security numbers that did not exist or were those of other individuals, some of whom were deceased.
The federal investigation into the incident is ongoing, as several questions remain unanswered at this time. It remains unclear how Ideal Staffing Solutions obtained deactivated airport security badges and how these badges still allowed the workers to enter restricted areas. Authorities are also determining why the workers were never fingerprinted—which is a mandatory requirement for all airport employees—and if there are any other security risks at O’Hare International Airport.
Previous Incidents Involving Illegal Immigrants
Over the past several years, there have been other incidents involving illegal immigrants obtaining employment at critical infrastructure facilities around the US, including:
– In June 2006, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials arrested 55 illegal aliens working at a construction site at a secure area of Dulles International Airport, located near Washington DC. One individual arrested also had an airport security badge that allowed unescorted access to the airport tarmac.
– In March 2005, US authorities arrested 57 illegal immigrants working at airports and other critical infrastructure facilities throughout the country. All of those arrested worked in sensitive areas, such as in restricted parts of airports or in close proximity to nuclear reactors.
– In 2002, federal officials arrested 25 workers at O’Hare International Airport, of whom 15 were found to be illegal immigrants. Those detained were custodians, baggage handlers, and restaurant workers at the airport.
Moving Forward
The recent arrests at O’Hare International Airport, in addition to those over the past several years, highlight the security vulnerabilities that remain at risk-sensitive facilities throughout the US, particularly at the country’s airports. Unauthorized workers at these sites pose a significant threat to the homeland. Particularly, when these individuals lie about or hide their identities, their true intentions are unknown.
While no connection has been found at this time in the recent incident at O’Hare Airport to terrorism, or in past incidents at other sites, the ability of illegal immigrants to obtain access to critical infrastructure clearly exhibits the potential for extremists or criminals to do the same.
This month’s incident at O’Hare Airport, in addition to a string of other recent events at US airports (Previous Report, Previous Report, Previous Report), indicates the need for additional security measures and awareness at these sites. Failure to address remaining vulnerabilities at US airports will result in continued risk to such critical facilities.
