6 Undocumented Workers Arrested at Valley Sites : Contractors: A joint task force made up of federal and state agency representatives targets builders who hire illegal immigrants.

Six undocumented workers have been arrested in the San Fernando Valley by a new task force that targets contractors who hire illegal immigrants, officials said Monday.

The joint program involves the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service and the Contractor’s State License Board.

“This is the first time we’ve task forced with them (the CSLB) to pursue information of this kind,” said John Brechtel, director of investigations for the INS. “They have an expertise in the construction industry that we don’t have.”

Illegal hiring practices among contractors have been a growing problem in the past few years, according to officials from both agencies.

On two occasions, INS agents have accompanied board investigators to areas in which the board conducted sweeps in search of unlicensed contractors working on quake-damaged homes. Brechtel said the agency would move to deport those arrested unless they proved that they had previously applied for asylum.

Brechtel said his agency also might choose not to deport undocumented workers if they are of long standing in the community, have no criminal record and have others in their family who are citizens.

Although the new program is designed to target employers who hire undocumented workers, no citations or arrests of employers have been made. The new task force is in its infancy and is still conducting investigations, Brechtel said.

The INS has conducted similar programs with state occupational safety officials and wage and hour regulators.

Employers found guilty of illegal hiring practices under the Immigration and Reform Act face fines as high as $10,000 per violation and possible prison sentences for repeat offenders.

While the INS and the Contractor’s License Board plan future actions together, the board made its first weekend investigative sweep against unlicensed contractors this weekend, said the board’s Sam Haynes. Stopping at 76 sites, they arrested 17 people for illegally contracting without a license and ticketed 14 licensed contractors for other violations, including failure to hold workers’ compensation policies for their employees.

From April to May of this year, board investigators have arrested 368 unlicensed contractors and cited 330 licensees.

Quake recovery money in the billions has attracted fraudulent contractors to the area, said Ralph Hollier of the Contractor’s Board. He warned homeowners to be sure they hire contractors with current licenses, which can be checked by calling (800) 321-CSLB.