Immigration Raid Hurts Small Iowa Town

Protesters Rally Against Immigration Policies; One Out Of Three Residents Swept Up In Raid

(CBS/ AP)  It was the largest single immigration raid in the country. There were 700 warrants and 300 arrests. Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant, lost three quarters of its workforce, reports CBS Evening News correspondent Russ Mitchell. And tiny Postville, Iowa lost one out of every three of its residents.

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"I would say we lost a good third of our people," said Postville Mayor Bob Penrod. "It's a pretty substantial hit."

Businesses that had served the Hispanic community struggled or shuttered after the May 12 raid. The meatpacking plant scrambled to replace 700 workers -- at one point busing in the homeless from Texas.

"This has not created anything good for the community," said Father Paul Ouderkirk, a former pastor at St. Bridget's Church "It's created division, hurt, harm."

About a thousand protesters descended on Postville on Sunday, decrying the raid and calling for a change in federal immigration policies.

Postville, a town with about 2,200 residents, was pushed to the forefront of a national debate when federal immigration officials raided Agriprocessors - the biggest U.S. kosher meatpacking plant - in May in the largest raid of its kind in the United States. Most of those arrested were Guatemalan and Mexican nationals who lived in the area.

Sunday's protesters - many arriving by bus from the Twin Cities and Chicago - circled the streets of Postville on a route about a mile long. Some clutched banners and signs such as one that read, "United for immigrant and worker rights."

Rabbi Harold Kravitz of the Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Minnetonka, Minnesota, spoke when the rally paused near the driveway of Agriprocessors, on the outskirts of town.

Shouting into a portable microphone, he said the protesters wanted to stop the criminalization of people who come to the U.S. simply to make a living.

"People have come here from Minneapolis, Wisconsin, Chicago, New York and New Jersey ... because we care," Kravitz said.

The rally also drew about 75 anti-immigration protesters.

Claire Jamison, who said she'd traveled from Minneapolis, wore a hat emblazoned with a U.S. Border Patrol logo and held a sign reading "What would Jesus do? Obey the law."

"I'm just so fed up as an American. We have laws. Why can't they obey our laws?" Jamison said. "I empathize with those people, but they are not victims. They should not have even been here."

Most of the nearly 300 undocumented workers arrested are serving five months sentences for identity theft, but some 40 women along with their 90 children are still living in Postville, awaiting a court date. Unable to work, the families are completely dependent on St. Bridget's Catholic church for food, rent money and medical care. Maria Cruz is one of those women.

"They took my husband and left me with my three sons and I can't work," Cruz said. "It makes you feel humiliated and we didn't do anything bad, the only thing we did was come here to work."

Cruz has to wear a tracking bracelet 24 hours a day and cannot leave Iowa until her case comes to trial. Maria also told CBS News that after the raid, her last paycheck was missing 20 hours of overtime and she was not paid for two weeks of vacation time she had earned - money she desperately needs now.

Two Agriprocessor managers are facing indictment for assisting plant workers get fake identity cards. Now the federal Labor Department is investigating the plant for child labor violations; the equal Employment Oppotunity Commision is looking into sexual harrasment charges; and lawyers for the immigrants are working on a lawsuit over wage and hour violations. And over the years, there have been repeated charges of safety violations.

"The line behind us was dangerous, it was all sharp knives," Cruz said.

"It was the dirtiest, unsafest plant I've ever been in," Father Ouderkirk said.

Many of Ouderkirk's parishioners worked at Agriprocessors. He has toured the plant and says workers there were routinely mistreated.

"We're dealing with them -- we've seen them -- the kid without three fingers and the one with his hand missing, and when I was a pastor here I took how many people to the doctor with cuts," Ouderkirk said.

Agriprocessors denies employing underage workers, and would not discuss any pending litigation, but says it has begun to make changes in the plant.

"We have hired a compliance officer, that was reported to everybody, and I'm not going to get into the details, but I think it was reported, many new and improved systems," said Chaim Abraham with Adriprocessors.

Still, that's not enough for Fr. Paul.

"They have a responsibility to this whole community that they never lived up to," Ouderkirk said. "They painted a good picture, but their actions spoke a different story."

[Pedro_wet_back]

The United States has been the pioneer of globalization, a tool of opression to economically disadvantaged people around the world.
To be able to penetrate societies against globalization, the US officials brived dictators in the world, especially in Latin America.
That caused people to leave their families behind after they saw their small, family owned business, fall against Mc Donald's, Subway, Carl;s Jr. and more. That caused inmigration to the USA from Latin America. Aside from the fact that the US economy is not self sustainable, if the inmigrants would leave, the whole economy would collapse because employers would not longer be able to compete against goods' prices made in other countries, in other words, suck it up you ingnorant savages who are still living in the 18th century. Get an education and your life will change and you will stop feeling threatened by brown people who do not speak English, do not have documents to compete in the labor market, do not get any umemployment benefits, among other thigs. It is the economy stupid.

[six-six-seis]

Posted by paradise3656 ,
Reistance is Futile, you will be Assimilated,

learn spanish...

[paradise3656]

Equal Rights?? You have got to be joking. You have NO rights. Your ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS! If u can not understand this, you could come up with the bright idea of learning the language of the country, YOU "ILLEGALLY" entered. It amazes me how this woman can stand there whining & crying about how they "did nothing wrong". Hellooo, you people, BROKE the law when coming here/working here. To cry that she was left with 3 children! Unbelievable. Guess she forgot, we Americans DID NOT get her pregnant. If it wasn''t so pathetic, it would be laughable. A piece of very simple advice, not a new conceipt, BIRTH CONTROL, stop breeding like rabbits or follow your Catholic preachings of ABSTINENCE. That means, keep your pants on.(NO INTERCOURSE) Wow, that was a hard one. Ohhhh yea, dummy me, I forgot, these kids born here are U.S. of A. citizens. FREE everything and Mommy gets to stay. Silly me. I do not begrudge anyone willing to work and improve their standard of living. However, the foreigners that came to this country & built this country, did it legally. Worked like hell, learned the language, respected the morals, courtesies,laws,the flag and what it stood for. They were not leaches on our society. I am thrilled our gov finally got off their azz & did something. I also believe companies like this should be held accountable & penalized to the full extent of the law. They broke the law by hiring illegals & when not providing a safe work enviroment. Do the crime, pay the time.

[durendal55]

Toldyouso12 - thanks for the info! Sounds pretty cool.

With regards to the destroyed from within I find James Madison illuminating "There are more instances of the abridgment of freedoms of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

[txgrouch2006]

toldyouso12 wrote

Destroyed from within. The problem is companies won''''t find out that when they harm the American worker, they ultimately harm themselves--until it is too late.
--------------------------
Marx predicted that capitalism would destroy itself from the relentless pursuit of ever-higher profits. In their pursuit of profit, they would end up making no profit at all when their whole economic system collapsed.

Well, it seems like Marx''s system collapsed first. And even though he made the egregious mathematical error of dividing by zero when he tried to prove that the pursuit of profit would result in zero profit - the capitalists seem to be doing a very good job of PROVING HIM RIGHT.

[six-six-seis]

Destroyed from within. The problem is companies won''''t find out that when they harm the American worker, they ultimately harm themselves--until it is too late.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by toldyouso12 at 02:39 PM...

actually youre only partially right,
they are competing in a Global Environment,
i see this every day.............................

[toldyouso12]

Dorothy Parker, was a part of the Algonquin Round Table that met along with other literary notables in New York in the 1930s. People like Edna St.Vincent Millay, William Faulkner, and others formed several literary circles where they would meet for drinks and tea and carry on into the night inspiring each other. The Algonquin table was to American literature modern lit what Hemingways immovable feast was to Paris and his group of ex pats. or the Bloomsbury group and the Yellow book was to England At the time, to belong was not only to be part of one of the most sophisticated literary forums--that membership almost guaranteed success or at least a few publishings. Dorothy Parker resided in NYC and was known for her acid wit. For instance she once critiqued a book by another author and remarked "This book is not to be taken lightly--it should be thrown with great force"

Some of the most interesting remarks of our time with amazing repartee happened at "the round table". do you know this one: A lady to Churchill: "Sir, if you were my husband, I''d put poison in your tea!" Churchill responded: "Madam, if I were your husband, I''d drink it!''

Or when Eleanor Roosevelt primly told someone "young man, if you don''t have something nice to say about anyone, then come right over here and sit beside me"

Snap. LOL

[toldyouso12]

OUR OWN BUSINESSES ARE HIRING THE MERCENARY ARMY THAT IS WAGING THE NEW TERRORIAL WAR AGAINST THE WHITE MIDDLE CLASS. And we''''re LOSING.

Posted by txgrouch2006 at 02:29 PM : Jul 29, 2008

Destroyed from within. The problem is companies won''t find out that when they harm the American worker, they ultimately harm themselves--until it is too late.

[txgrouch2006]

durendal55 wrote
There is good Globalism and there is Bad Globalism.
---------------------
Maybe so. I''m against the "Bad Globalism."

"Good Globalism" might be the auto industry, where the USA makers like GM have been selling vehicles with KNOWN LETHAL DEFECTS - SEVERAL OF THEM - and carefully wording the warrantee so that "known problems" are not covered and YOU CAN''T FIX IT ANYWAY BECAUSE THE WHOLE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED DEFECTIVE and it''s not repairable.

If you''ve owned a GM vehicle with one OR MORE of the lethal defects I''m talking about, you know what I mean.

Personally, I read the recent news about GM''s troubles with GREAT SATISFACTION. I only wonder that it didn''t happen sooner. If there was EVER a company that deserves to be driven out of business - BY ANYONE - it''s GM.

[txgrouch2006]

toldyouso12 wrote
many people fail to see that what we did to them can also be done to us by the influx of illegals if we can''''t learn from history.
---------------------
Actually, that''s EXACTLY what''s happening today.

Except it''s not the illegal workers who are invading us (even if they think they are). No, this is WHITE-ON-WHITE oppression, just like my ancestors suffered in the textile mills of the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800''s.

Today, the greedy corporate tyrants are INTENTIONALLY breaking the back of the white middle class by undercutting them with cheap illegal labor. No matter how low the white guy on the backhoe bids the job, the Boss Man can find illegals who will work so cheap with hand tools that 5 or 10 of them PUT TOGETHER will undercut the white guy''s bid. AND THE BOSS MAN DRIVES AROUND TO PARKING LOTS WHERE THE ILLEGALS GATHER - AFTER HE HAS THE WHITE GUY''S BID - and says "OK, who''ll dig a septic field with hand tools all afternoon for five bucks?" knowing that even if he hires TEN, he''ll undercut the white guy''s $100 bid.

OUR OWN BUSINESSES ARE HIRING THE MERCENARY ARMY THAT IS WAGING THE NEW TERRORIAL WAR AGAINST THE WHITE MIDDLE CLASS. And we''re LOSING.

[penskeone]

Poor People! We need to pass a Reform Bill...

[durendal55]

Paine and Shakespeare? Whereas I prefer Dorthy Parker: "What fresh hell is this?"
Posted by toldyouso12

I am not familiar with Dorthy Parker.

[toldyouso12]

oldyouso12 - That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Posted by durendal55 at 01:13 PM : Jul 29, 2008


Paine and Shakespeare? Whereas I prefer Dorthy Parker: "What fresh hell is this?"

[durendal55]

Thank you for your concern--but I can assure you that I am brazen, determined and obstinate enough to stand my ground and also quite agile in staying or landing back on my feet. Not that I am prone to error--but I am neither made nor broken by comments on a blog. LOL
Posted by toldyouso12

If we were all perfect the world would be a dull and boring place!

[toldyouso12]

My only concern is that you tread on shaky ground and I would not like it to fall out from under you at the wrong time.

Posted by durendal55 at 01:08 PM : Jul 29, 2008


Thank you for your concern--but I can assure you that I am brazen, determined and obstinate enough to stand my ground and also quite agile in staying or landing back on my feet. Not that I am prone to error--but I am neither made nor broken by comments on a blog. LOL

[durendal55]

toldyouso12 - That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

[toldyouso12]

gain with the apples and oranges.
"To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead."
- Thomas Paine

Posted by durendal55 at 01:03 PM : Jul 29, 2008


Indeed. Best not to quote dead men too much, though. LOL

[toldyouso12]

What part of "exporting jobs we cannot fill" are you not understanding? You are talking about exporting jobs we CAN fill. I am not.

Posted by durendal55 at 12:59 PM : Jul 29, 2008


The part with the world exporting and the way you use it is the confusion. Exporting is the act of taking something from point of origination and moving it to another land or place. Had you said, that companies should create our surplus jobs in another land, you would have gotten a different response--one that stated, rather than create in another land, companies could then, insource workers once our own employment forces were saturated.As for other countries--they could of course always build subsidiaries--but the main focus and dynamic should always be American jobs in America. Creation would mean not to take something from here to another country--it would mean to develop something there separate from our own base.

[durendal55]

No..... the blankets got brought up due to your denial about what Cortez did, his missive back to Europe was in 1519, long before any Englishmen or New England was settled by Europeans--but again, this is digression and totally goes off the original point I keep trying to make--I think maybe you have so much denial of white guilt that you see guilt where there is none and want to fight or dispute it--I do not speak of guilt--the man used diseased blankets--but the posts about small pox started with your post to me-my first post was about Squanto and Pocohantas betraying their own. like I perceive Andor to be doing.

Posted by toldyouso12

My only concern is that you tread on shaky ground and I would not like it to fall out from under you at the wrong time.

[toldyouso12]

nd there were no blankets involved or anything else. Just plagues. You are so caught up in blankets that you are not seeing the big picture.

Posted by durendal55 at 12:56 PM : Jul 29, 2008


No..... the blankets got brought up due to your denial about what Cortez did, his missive back to Europe was in 1519, long before any Englishmen or New England was settled by Europeans--but again, this is digression and totally goes off the original point I keep trying to make--I think maybe you have so much denial of white guilt that you see guilt where there is none and want to fight or dispute it--I do not speak of guilt--the man used diseased blankets--but the posts about small pox started with your post to me-my first post was about Squanto and Pocohantas betraying their own. like I perceive Andor to be doing.