The same day of the arrests a U.S. Magistrate judge released most of the workers on unsecured bonds noting that they have stable jobs and no criminal records.

Citing claims of searching for "ties to terrorist organizations," U.S. attorney for New Jersey Christopher Christie dubbed the detentions "an ounce of prevention," after admitting the "investigators" found nothing else to pin on the workers. He called on the federal Transportation Security Administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to mandate Social Security and immigration checks for workers with "security access."

The arrests come after federal cops from the FBI, Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Marshals, Transportation Department, and other agencies took part in snooping on the records of 18,000 workers at the Newark airport. Besides those arrested on accusations of falsifying their employment records, 15 others were arrested and turned over to local authorities when the "investigation" turned up outstanding civil or criminal warrants, including several "deadbeat dads."

Similar fishing operations have taken place in cities across the country with government authorities targeting "security risks and illegal aliens," the Newark Star Ledger reported. The previous week in Philadelphia federal authorities indicted 29 baggage handlers, maintenance workers, and ramp workers on charges of falsifying their employment applications. And in August federal officials arrested 81 airport workers in Los Angeles. Last year U.S. president George Bush signed into law the Aviation and Transportation Act placing airport security under federal authority and requiring all workers who are baggage screeners to be U.S. citizens. The Transportation Security Administration, which took over airport security last February, was charged with implementing the citizenship regulations for baggage screeners by November of this year.  
 
 
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