The Mobile FBI task force conducted a press conference on Wednesday to present fresh information regarding the 36 undocumented workers arrested at the new Gulf Shores High School construction site.

According to FBI Special Agent PJ Lavoie, 20 of the 36 apprehended had prior criminal records.

Four of them arrested had deportation orders, while seven had already been deported and re-entered the country illegally.

Lavoie explained why specific areas, such as Baldwin County, are currently being targeted.

“Baldwin County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the country,” Lavoie told reporters. “So there is a lot of construction. It’s not just the building industry, but it’s very active right now.

News 5 has tallied at least 15 immigration enforcement actions carried out by federal authorities in Mobile and Baldwin Counties since February.

Another enforcement operation took place earlier this month at a building site in the Foley area.

“Anyone who employes illegal aliens, we’ll be coming,” Lavoie was saying.

News 5 inquired about the procedures contractors must follow in order to screen for unauthorized labor.

“There’s several programs in existence now in the government,” Lavoie told reporters. “One is an E-Verify to name one.”

“There’s also the H-1B process through which you can bring workers in legally,” he told me.

We are seeking to determine how many operations have taken place and how many people have been detained this year.

An FBI spokesperson told us he is seeking to obtain those figures.