Say what you want about illegal immigrant raids, but back in the seventies and early eighties it was an excellent deterrant to illegal immigration. Back in those days illegal aliens were afraid to go out in be seen in public … sort of like the rest of the law breaking fugitives out there. JD

A cleaning company with ties to Nevada is at the center of a major immigration sweep. Wednesday night, federal agents raided restaurants all over the country including three in Las Vegas: the Harley Davidson Cafe, The Red White and Blue at Mandalay Bay and ESPN Zone.

Rosenbaum-Cunningham International (RCI) is the cleaning contractor which provided the staff for these restaurants. Its company leaders are now indicted for allegedly harboring hundreds of illegal immigrants and evading millions of dollars in taxes.

Illegal immigrants working as cleaners were caught off guard Wednesday night at New York New York’s ESPN Zone. Operation Clean Up targeted illegals in this scheme. Over 220 individuals at 63 locations in 17 states and the District of Columbia were rounded up.

ESPN Zone was one of many national restaurant chains which used Rosenbaum-Cunningham International’s services. It’s a cleaning contract company that started in Nevada. On Thursday, federal authorities unsealed the indictment, which accuses RCI’s owners of harboring illegal immigrants for profit and never paying employment taxes.

It’s all about the money, in this case $18 million. The IRS says company owners kept almost 40 percent of the money for themselves. They bought luxury boats and even paid for their kids’ college tuition

The investigation started at a Michigan resort about two years ago after concerns that RCI workers were illegal immigrants, but the company’s client base is widespread. Investigators say other national chains, such as The Hard Rock Cafe, House of Blues and Las Vegas’ ESPN Zone, unknowingly had illegal immigrants cleaning for them too.

None of the businesses will be charged. Managers at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood and House of Blues tell News 3 they do not work with RCI. However, the ESPN Zone says it has cut off ties with the cleaning company and is now in the process of finding a new one. We are still awaiting calls from the other restaurants that were raided.