Immigration agents put six Denver-area 7-Eleven stores on notice

Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited six 7-Eleven stores in the Denver area on Wednesday, part of a nationwide operation, the agency confirmed to Denverite.

No arrests were made locally, but agents delivered notices that require the business owners to produce records about their employees, according to ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok.

Nationwide, agents delivered the notices to a total of 98 stores and made administrative arrests of 21 people on suspicion they were in the country without authorization. The visits happened in 17 states.

The "notices of inspection" are ICE's way of checking that a company has verified the identity and eligibility of the people they hire.

ICE said that this is a "follow-up" to an investigation that dates to 2013, which resulted in the arrest of nine franchise owners and managers for "conspiring to commit wire fraud, stealing identities and concealing and harboring illegal aliens employed at their stores."

The agency "serves as a follow-up to ensure the company has taken the proper steps towards more responsible hiring and employment practices."

Rusnok declined to name which stores in Colorado were served with the notices. The stores won't be named unless fines are imposed or criminal charges are filed.

ICE's arrest numbers are up 43 percent since President Donald Trump took office. The Colorado-Wyoming area saw a 150 percent increase in immigration arrests as the agency shifted its attention to the interior states.

Have you encountered ICE? Do you have more information about today's raids? Email me.