An investigation has been opened into a large staffing company in Pennsylvania that reportedly hired illegal aliens in place of qualified Americans.
It’s about time the government started cracking down on this.
At a glance:
- Federal authorities are investigating Prosperity Services, a staffing company, for allegedly supplying illegal migrant workers to Fourth Street Foods in Charleroi, Pennsylvania.
- Prosperity Services is accused of paying undocumented migrants in cash and facilitating their employment at Fourth Street Foods, which employs 700 migrants for low-wage jobs.
- Fourth Street Foods claims to have hired only legal workers and is cooperating with the investigation.
Federal investigators have launched an investigation into Prosperity Services, a staffing company accused of providing undocumented migrant workers to Fourth Street Foods, a food assembly company in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Prosperity Services is suspected of illegally paying undocumented workers in cash and transporting them for employment at Fourth Street Foods, according to a local TV report.
Fourth Street Foods, which employs approximately 700 migrants for low-paying jobs, denies any knowledge of illegal hiring practices. The company, which produces prepared meals for nationwide distribution, relies on third-party staffing agencies like Prosperity Services to supply workers. Company owner David Barbe insists that all workers hired at Fourth Street Foods have legal work permits and that they are cooperating fully with federal authorities.
The investigation gained momentum after federal agents raided the offices of Prosperity Services owner Andy Ha, seizing a million dollars in cash and company records. Investigators allege that Prosperity Services “knowingly paid undocumented non-citizen employees with cash” and facilitated their employment at Fourth Street Foods.
Barbe, the owner of Fourth Street Foods, has publicly stated his support for hiring migrant workers, citing that many of these jobs are not taken by American workers. He has argued that if more American workers were willing to take these positions, the company would accommodate them.
However, the influx of migrants into Charleroi for low-wage manufacturing jobs has created challenges for the community. Some residents, including migrants themselves, have expressed concerns about the lack of integration and the impact on local resources. These pressures have led to increased housing costs, strained education budgets, and overwhelmed healthcare services as local systems adapt to the growing migrant population.
The investigation into Prosperity Services is ongoing, with federal authorities continuing to examine the staffing practices at Fourth Street Foods and the legality of its workforce.