ICE agents arrest 10 at Sparboe Farms

Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested ten people today at a Sparboe Farms facility in Litchfield.

Public Affairs Officer Shawn Neudauer said the agents were conducting a criminal investigation, but the arrests were based on "administrative charges." Neudauer would not specify the charges but said immigration violations often fall into that category.

"The act of being in the country illegally and say, getting arrested by a police officer for speeding and then being held for an immigration violation in itself is generally an administrative violation," Neudauer said.

He said the criminal investigation is ongoing. Two of the ten people arrested have been released.

Sparboe Farms released a statement saying the company "takes compliance with immigration laws very seriously."

"We are aware of no issues other than immigration-related issues that would be of concern," the company said. "There have been no food safety or quality concerns raised, and no Sparboe Farms eggs are at any risk."

Sparboe Farms is one of the largest egg producers in the U.S. It is headquartered in Litchfield, about 65 miles west of Minneapolis.