More details emerge on Target's probe of immigrant workers
A lot going on with Tarbutt out on the left coast these days, civil suits, state fines and now 
mass firings - A summary of the second Matt O'Brien article in the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek) shows that Tarbutt is taking a strict approach to the Obama administrations intent to enforce immigration laws.
With complaints about Targets Walnut Creek store using a large number of illegal immigrants on the night shift a compliance team was sent out from the Minneapolis corporate headquarters resulting with a confusing account of whether the employees quit or were terminated for lack of I-9 compliance.
The message seems to be that if you want to get rid of illegal workers you need to drop a dime on them to corporate and let HQ know problems exist at certain stores.
The long article says in part: "By the end of the second week of November, 50 Latino employees — at least half of whom say they were given no warning of what was coming — were out of their jobs. It was not a layoff, Target said last week.
Nor did the 50 employees quit, said Rocio Avila of the San Francisco-based legal advocacy group La Raza Centro Legal, which has intervened on their behalf.
But whether the Latino workers were fired, or were otherwise compelled to leave on their own because they did not have the proper documents, remains a point of contention. Target says the store questioned some workers in mid-November about their eligibility to work in the United States, prompting most of those workers to voluntarily resign. It will not say any more than that." 
"I had benefits. I had my work permit," said one Bay Point resident who worked at the store for several years. "I hoped to work there for a long time."
Area reactions show support for the terminations: ". . . local observers have celebrated Target's actions as a move in the right direction and a sign that more employers will take illegal immigration more seriously."
In the papers extensive online 'comments' section reader Ian sums it up when he posted: "I'm pretty sure the problem here is that they were not hiring Americans first in this recession. They are now simply trying to save face. They never should have put themselves in this position in the first place."
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Details at: http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_14012468?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com and also see 'Target workers in Walnut Creek quit after questions about Immigration Status' at: http://www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_13954593?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com&nclick_check=1, and
http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_14012468?source=rss