More than 80 illegal immigrants have been arrested in the past month in Hawai'i, U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said yesterday, warning others who may be working illegally that "you better keep looking over your shoulder because we're coming."

"We are drawing a line in our sand," Kubo said at a press conference with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, the state's Sheriff's Department, U.S. Marshall's Office and the Coast Guard. "Hawai'i has always been known for our aloha and acceptance of everyone, but there will be no aloha for those who lie, cheat and steal from us."

On Wednesday, 23 suspected illegal immigrants were arrested while working at the Honua Kai construction site in Ka'anapali, Maui. The contractor is the developer Intrawest.

Those arrested and jailed were 16 Mexicans, four Brazilians and one man each from Honduras, Guatemala and Peru.

Kubo said the investigation continues into whether their employer will be charged.

Last month, 43 Mexican aliens were arrested on O'ahu for allegedly working unlawfully for a company called Farms Inc. Of those, 23 have been charged with knowingly using a fraudulent green card, using a fraudulent Social Security number and possessing a fraudulent green card.

The third charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Attorney Dax Deason, representing Farms Inc., said "there are no charges against the company, we feel that we haven't violated any federal laws, and have followed all rules and regulations."

Kubo said the 80 arrests may be the "tip of the iceberg" of illegal immigration in Hawai'i.

"There is a pattern that we're eyeballing. It links up to people on the Mainland who are creating these high-quality fake documents. The documents which belonged to the aliens include identity numbers of other people with green cards which links to identity theft crimes," Kubo said.

Kubo said further investigations will include various industries, including agriculture, federal contractors, tourism, restaurants and construction.

"Our investigators will be increasing the tempo of these investigations and are looking at all types of work sites to uncover these violations," Kubo said.

He said he knows layoffs, such as those at Aloha Airlines and ATA, have hurt many people in Hawai'i.

"That is why I am deeply troubled when I see deliberate violations of federal law by those who cheat and lie to get our jobs."

Wayne Wills, special agent in charge with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his agency helps local businesses investigate their employees' legal status through a program called Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers. Business owners are also encouraged to enroll in and research their employees' status through a system called E-Verify.

"It's fairly easy to use the program. We have a full-time dedicated agent that gives presentations and can be reached for help on using the program," Wills said.

But attorney Deason said his client does not use E-Verify because it has serious problems. He said Swift & Company, a Mainland meat-packing firm, used E-Verify yet still suffered major raids over alleged illegal workers.