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Minnesota Company Targeted In Multi-State Immigration Raid

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Officials say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pulled off one of the largest raids of illegal immigrants involving three states Wednesday -- including Minnesota.

ICE agents arrested 17 business owners and managers as well as 133 workers. The farms, restaurants, and other agriculture companies involved are in Minnesota, Nebraska and Nevada.

Homeland Security told WCCO-TV that Christensen Farms -- specifically their Appleton and Sleepy Eye locations -- knowingly hired illegal immigrants and mistreated them. The arrests were part of a 15-month investigation. Many of the workers were using fake ID's belonging to U.S citizens.

ICE officials did not clarifiy the number of people in Minnesota arrested and formally charged.

Christensen Farms's Luverne location was the subject of an animal cruelty investigation in 2015.

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