The Washington Times

A $23 million lawsuit by 18 former employees at Swift & Co., which was targeted last week in raids by the government over its hiring of illegal aliens, says the meat-processing company conspired to keep down wages by hiring the illegal workers.

The former workers, all legal U.S. residents who worked at a Swift processing plant in Cactus, Texas, said they were the "victims in a longstanding scheme" by the company to "depress and artificially lower the wages of its workers" by knowingly hiring illegal aliens.

"By lessening its labor costs and increasing its profits, Swift has severely damaged the potential earnings and livelihood of these hardworking men and women," said lawyer Angel Reyes III, who represents the 18 former workers.

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