Three city seafood processors have been fined by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for a number of workplace violations, including hiring suspected illegal immigrants.
Northern Pelagic Group, or NORPEL, which processes herring on Fish Island, was fined USD 151,200; Cap Seafood on MacArthur Boulevard was fined USD 9,804, and Pier Fish Co. on Conway Street was fined USD 2,200.
"When we say suspect documents, for the most part that means the employee was illegal," said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of homeland security investigations in Boston. "With Norpel alone there were 351 suspect documents," he said.
The NORPEL plant was closed Wednesday when a reporter visited it. Reached by phone, operations manager Eoin Rochford declined comment.
Officials with Cap Seafood could not be reached for comment. A phone number listed for the company at 86 MacArthur Drive was not in service.
