Up to 700 Arrests Estimated in Postville Raid
Four Homeland Security buses with U.S. Immigration and Customs tags on them have entered the Agriprocessors Inc. complex.
The buses, along with a trail of SUVs and vans with Minnesota license plates, arrived at about 11:45 a.m. Federal agents descended upon this northeast Iowa community at about 10 a.m. today to conduct an immigration raid at the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant. The ICE agents entered the Postville plant to execute a criminal search warrant for evidence relating to aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers and other crimes, said Tim Counts, a Midwest ICE spokesman. Agents are also executing a civil search warrant for people illegally in the United States, he said.
Immigration officials told aides to U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley that they expect 600 to 700 arrests. About 1,000 to 1,050 people work at the plant, according to Iowa Workforce Development.
{snip}
[Chuck Larson, a truck driver for Agriprocessing] said the agents told workers to stay in place then separated them by asking those with identification to stand to the right and those with other papers, to stand to the left.
{snip}
When asked who was separated, Larson said those standing in the group with other papers were all Hispanic.
{snip}
Earlier this morning, a helicopter hovered over the scene, and a number of agents formed a perimeter around the Agriprocessors facility. Vehicles from ICE and at least eight cars and vans from the Iowa State Patrol were at the plant. There were also reports of two moving vans at the scene, along with an ambulance and two black Chevrolet Suburbans.
Counts declined to confirm where people who are arrested will be detained. Federal officials have leased the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo, but they declined to explain last week whether the property was being prepared for use as a detention center.
{snip}
Counts said that each person being arrested would be questioned by ICE and by Public Health Service medical professionals to determine if they have humanitarian issues, including child care giver or medical issues.
“Those interviews will aid ICE in determining whether people will be detained or conditionally released on humanitarian grounds, pending their immigration court appearance,” Counts said.
{snip}
The Agriprocessors plant, known as the nation’s largest kosher slaughterhouse, is northeast Iowa’s largest employer.
{snip}
(Posted on May 12, 2008)
Comments
Looks like Postville has suffered from two hostile invasions.
The first group of aliens was by far the worst.
Posted by Koch at 7:01 PM on May 12
And the kingpins will walk, without so much as a slap on the wrist. They should be forced to pay for the deportations, all law enforcement costs and then reimburse every penny stolen from each American who suffered the ID thefts.
Chertoff said he was going to get tough with employers. “Zero tolerance”. Well Chertoff, here’s your best opportunity yet. Wouldn’t it be nice if after all these years you could document at least ONE felony conviction of an employer?
Expecting an outraged response from LaRaza, the ACLU and McCain in 3…2…1…
Posted by Edward at 7:23 PM on May 12
Further details from the Cedar Rapids Post Gazette:
http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/NEWS/440184628/1001/NEWS
About time they raided a place literally everyone in the state knows hires illegals. There have been rumors about this raid for several days. If they do get sent back (I have no confidence in our weak willed government), the schools might flourish again.
Posted by Timber Wolf at 7:34 PM on May 12
A few years ago a book was written on the relationship of the native Lutherans and the Hasidim and the Hispanic workers of Agriprocessors titled Postville: A clash of cultures in the heartland of America.
here is the wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postville:_A_Clash_of_Cultures_in_Heartland_America
Posted by Timber Wolf at 8:10 PM on May 12
Seven hundred arrests out of 1050 employees? I suppose a company spokesman is now going to announce that maagement had no idea that 2/3 of the staff were illegal aliens.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 8:40 PM on May 12
I would think that these high profile raids, involving the arrests of those with fraudulent and stolen documents would alert all the illegals doing the same that they’re in jeopardy of being uprooted, arrested and tried for their crimes, then deported after serving their sentences, but none of them seem to be taking any kind of evasive action.
While they probably are confident that they’ll probably get just a slap on the wrist, then deported, and they can come right back, surely no one with good sense would want to go through all the horrendous hassle of just going through the process.
What these raids tell us basically is that it would do far more good in reducing I.D. theft and illegal immigration if the employers are arrested too, but as in the Swift case, it doesn’t appear right at the moment that that will happen, yet certainly these employers had to be aware these people were illegal.
Without traitorous employers illegal immigration would be impossible.
Posted by ice at 8:59 PM on May 12
Counts said that each person being arrested would be questioned by ICE and by Public Health Service medical professionals to determine if they have humanitarian issues, including child care giver or medical issues.
Who cares? If they are here breaking the law, deport them no matter what and raid their homes and deport any other illegals living there. Sell their property at auction as payment for their trip back home to Mexico. Case closed, problem solved.
Posted by at 9:14 PM on May 12
About Time!! If the feds did this frequently enough, we wouldn’t have the huge illegal alien problem that we have now in the USA. Please, carry out many more of these raids daily for the next twenty years and we just might have a chance at getting our nation back.
Posted by Waspy Guy at 2:28 AM on May 13
They shall return….dont ya all worry they are waiting in the wings to make a new entrance over what is called our borders…there is NO SUCH THING AS AN USA AMERICAN BORDER….THE MEXICANS OWN IT THANKS TO BUSHWACKER!!
Posted by lydia at 4:44 PM on May 13
The television and print news reporters did their best to avoid the word “illegal” and focus solely on the word “immigrant” instead. The television stations in the region tried to find Postville natives to get a reaction. A few were caught on camera as saying that it was overdue and it was about time while making it clear that the raids should be handled in a properly humanitarian way. The Roman Catholic Archbishop Jerome Hanus whose archdiocese of Dubuque covers the northeastern corner of Iowa, including Postville, lamented the raids and claimed “comprehensive immigration reform” was necessary. His other comments were the usual nonsense of a someone whose church allowed the sexual molestation of children to go on for years and then had to fork over millions of dollars in settlements.
Posted by Dubuque Observer at 5:11 PM on May 13
Remember there are only 12 million illegal immigrants in this country.
Did you ever notice that estimate never seems to increase?
Posted by Dennis at 5:11 PM on May 13
“Chertoff said he was going to get tough with employers. “Zero tolerance”. Well Chertoff, here’s your best opportunity yet. Wouldn’t it be nice if after all these years you could document at least ONE felony conviction of an employer?”
Posted by Edward at 7:23 PM on May 12
Chertoff’s loyalty is not to the American worker. Despite his macho posturing, he is still a dual citizen who is loyal to the big corporations first and foremost.
Talking “tough” and acting tough are two different things.
Posted by Old Victorian at 7:13 PM on May 14
Remember there are only 120 million illegal immigrants in this country.
Did you ever notice that estimate never seems to increase?
Posted by i didn't notice at 7:18 PM on May 14