Eight undocumented immigrants, arrested in Marquette, are now in the Chippewa County Jail. Sources have also confirmed to TV6, they were in Marquette to help build the new U.P. Health System – Marquette hospital.

U.S. Customs said the seven Mexicans and one Honduran were taken into custody on Tuesday, after separate traffic stops. Those stops were done by U.S. Border Patrol Agents. The agents were in the area because of information provided by a Marquette Township Deputy with the Marquette County Sheriff’s Department.

The eight individuals did admit they were in the United States illegally. They were arrested and taken to the Chippewa County Jail in Sault Ste. Marie.

Sources tell TV6 News, the eight arrested were installing glass panels on the new Marquette hospital. That part of the project is on hold at the time of posting. The glass panel installation is about 50 percent complete.

The contractor hospital project, Skanska-Closner, has not returned our calls.

UPHS-Marquette released a short statement on the incident:

“UPHS – Marquette partnered with Skanska-Closner on the construction of our new facility. With this partnership, we have a contractual commitment to ensure that all immigration laws are appropriately followed.”

The U.S. Border Patrol has 406 agents working out of the Detroit Sector Office. They patrol the U.S. border from Lake Superior to Erie, Pennsylvania, a total of 863 miles.