Immigration agents seize 11 workers at country club

Carolyn Hileman - The Voice* | May 3, 2008

By HECTOR FLORIN

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Friday, May 02, 2008

Careful not to interrupt players on fairways where Sam Snead once golfed, or on courts where tennis champions Ivan Lendl and Steffi Graf once trained, federal agents swooped through the gates of Gleneagles Country Club on Wednesday and slapped handcuffs on 11 undocumented Haitians — some of them longtime employees, tagged for deportation.

Immigration authorities, tipped to one worker’s illegal status, checked files of other workers before launching the raid afternoon at the club west of Delray Beach. The men allegedly had ignored a judge’s order to leave the country, officials said.

“It was managed very low-key, so as not to interfere with the operation of the golf course,” said Sean Telling, an assistant field office director with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s southern region, which conducted the raid with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office’s help. The event was unusual because of the number of workers apprehended, said Telling, a former member of the fugitive operations team that handled Wednesday’s action.

The workers maintained the golf course and common areas, Gleneagles Country Club general manager Kraig Spina said. The club was not aware the workers were there illegally, and it cooperated with the investigation, he added.

“I was approached about a month ago on one individual. We worked with them throughout the whole process,” Spina said. “All of our documentation was correct and accurate, based on what our local government agent said. They orchestrated this with us. “I have absolutely no idea what their status is,” he said.