A Small Town Under Siege

Residents Still Struggle To Recover After Immigration Raid Left Economy In Tatters

(CBS)  On front lawns across Postville, Iowa, there are signs of spring. Then there are signs that it is this spring.

Once home to 3,000 people, Postville's population has dwindled in a matter of months to just 1,800, reports CBS News correspondent Seth Doane.

"People are trying to be positive in the community, but it's wearing on them," said Kim Deering, the owner of the Wishing Well.

"Is it wearing on you?" Doane asked.

"Oh yeah," Deering said.

At the Wishing Well, business is off 30 percent, but at least Deering is still in business. Many of her neighbors cannot say the same.

For the past year, CBS News has followed the struggle here, which began last May, when Agriprocessors, a kosher meatpacking plant - and the town's largest employer - was raided by homeland security. Hundreds were arrested, accused of illegally working in the United States.

A few weeks ago, on the one year anniversary of the raid, church bells tolled 389 times, once for each person arrested. It served as a reminder - as if anyone here needed one.

"On top of the direct impact of the raid happening and people losing their jobs and income - there's no other jobs that they can go to," said Maryn Olson, with the Postville Response Coalition.

After the raid, some plant managers were convicted of supplying workers with fake identity papers. The plant's owner, Shalom Rubashkin, still awaits trial for bank fraud and a host of other charges.

The plant declared bankruptcy, leaving hundreds of legal workers without jobs, like Jeff and Holly Bohr. When we met back in November, they hadn't seen a paycheck for weeks.

"We're just struggling to survive," Jeff Bohr said.

Eventually, Agriprocessors did reopen, at just one-third capacity, and Holly got her job back.

Jeff had to leave town to find work. It means a pay cut, and a commute.

But it's not just pain in Postville. Last fall, when we met Irma Rucal, one of the undocumented plant workers, she wore a tracking anklet and awaited deportation. Just weeks ago, the device was removed.

"I started crying for joy," Rucal told Doane.

Rucal and her children can now legally stay in the United States, because she - and at least 20 others - have agreed to testify in the government's case against the plant. But Rucal's son realizes that while they have work permits, there is no work. They have depended on charity for housing, food and medical care. Local churches have donated about $1.2 million to those affected by the raid so far.

"Postville is an excellent opportunity for our elected officials - for our president and the administration to come and see what immigration raids do to communities," said Pastor Steve Brackett, with the St. Paul Lutheran Church. "We have the evidence right here."

Evidence like the "For Sale" signs on the front lawns here - signs that communities like Postville are at the center of the immigration debate.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

I wonder why so many people live in US as illegal. It's so easy to be legal just by marrying a US citizen.by ereHsdadhgaB-2009 June 13, 2009 5:45 PM PDT

For starters, many of them are already married.

Second, just marrying a US citizen doesn't guarantee you permission to stay legally. I know two people who have married (for the right reasons) and found their spouse deported. Neither one has been able to resolve their separation problems yet, as they can also not "legally" enter their spouse's country of origin. Meanwhile, we're giving illegals ID cards, free education, and a lot more. Sometimes the law is just rotten.

[skydrifter1]

My heart goes out to the townspeople; it's a sad situation.

The bitter irony is that they facilitated the problem which they now think is unjust.

In turn, justice has been done. The negligent and facilitators are not one bit less guilty than the profiteering perpetrators.

America has been methodically conditioned to "... go along, to get along." This is one such price for the conditioned cowardice.

Illegal immigrant labor or "outsourcing;" the effect is the same. Americans are too spineless to stand up for the future of their own children.

I've fought this battle; the resistance came from behind me. The very behavioral mechanism which effected Hitler's rise to power.

This is just one town. As the citizens cry out, they essentially discourage a fight against the underlying problem - cheap illegal labor, facilitated by the cowardly "American" unemployed.

The 'shrinks' have a name for the underlying problem - "denial."

[ABM_21]

The truth is that "immigrants take our jobs"

is truly an american myth!

Really. Most ILLegal workers do jobs no one here will do!!

Like heavy FARMING and SLAUGHTERING ANIMALS !!

So, they're not taking anybodys job..

How many people do you know willing to clean motel rooms or pick starwberries 12 hours a day for LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE ?!?!?!?!?!!?

Think about it!!
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There's nothing to 'think about' since your statement is incomplete. These immigrants do jobs Americans won't do for SLAVE WAGES. The truth of the matter is, if a decent wage was offered for these jobs, there would be tons of Americans more than happy to do them. Having had parents pick cotton way back when, no one is interested in working for next to nothing...and neither are they. They give birth here, which makes their progeny American citizens. That is a roundabout way of gaining citizenship for themselves. Add to that the fact that many of them carry large amounts of cash on their person, which makes them a target for thieves. Many of them do not have insurance, which forces them to go to emergency rooms across the nation. In America, nowadays for the poor, emergency rooms are turned into primary care physician offices. Finally, let's not forget there is a violent street gang making its way to the states. They go by the name MS-13. This gang originated in Nicaragua or Honduras, is extremely violent, and has come to America thanks in large part to illegal immigration. These are issues that need to be addressed before anyone can claim this nonsense about the illegals 'just wanting to work'. Are there no farms in Mexico?

[ABM_21]

Sometimes revolutions begin in small town. Wouldn't it be great if the legislators of this small town declared it a sanctuary city and forbade federal agents from conducting any raids and ordered the release of all those who have been detained. Of course the federal government would ignore them but it would set up the scenario for the confrontation and I think the small town would win!
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You know, the truly tragic part in all of this is that some people actually think these criminals should have a right to stay in this country. After all, they 'just want to work', they insist. For one thing, thy are not called 'illegal aliens' because they cam from outer space. They illegally entered this nation. Rather than go through proper channels, they just packed up all their things and left for America. That makes them criminals. Also, as someone so estutuely mentioned, these were jobs that native-born Americvans could have been holding. While so many people cry on behalf of the illegals, who cries on behalf of the displaced workers who have to compete with the cheap labor being illegally exported from Mexico and S. America? Who cries for the workers who will not work for slave wages, but factory owners keep these wages unreasonably low just to attract illegal aliens? Then too, why should we cry for factory owners more interested in making a dollar than providing jobs for Americans? If anything, these owners should bear the cost of protecting this nation from illegal immigration with all the profits they made thanks to illegal immigrant workers...

[nofoolling]

Postville is an excellent opportunity for our elected officials - for our president and the administration to come and see what immigration raids do to communities," said Pastor Steve Brackett, with the St. Paul Lutheran Church. "We have the evidence right here."

I'd say its an excellent opportunity for these folks to see what happens when their elected officials look the other way while the business community breaks the law and helps illegals take american jobs.

The rest of us have to live within the law but companies like these flourish by hiring illegals to work for dirt wages driving down the overall wage structure for Americans.

And the voodoo propaganda about the illegals doing jobs Americans won't do is just that. Americans would gladly do the work if the pay was something other than poverty level sweat shop wages. These companies are actually preying on the situation the illegal immigrants find themselves,

while the folks we empower to enforce the law fail to follow the rules.

The city leaders of this town oughta be ashamed of themselves, and the pastor oughta be preaching moral conduct, not playing the "poor us" routine.

Reap what you sow.

[ABM_21]

What does this mean if half of the town was made up of illegals? Are there more than 25 million illegals that are taking jobs, our healthcare, raising our crime rate.
Posted by enriquieGonzales
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Aern't you one of them?

[ABM_21]

See you liberals? Obama destroyed the economy of this town when he kicked out the freedom workers. Shame on you!
Posted by mrs_trepidatious
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lady, you're a moron...that is, if you even are a lady. But anyways...
Illegal immigrants have no business worikin gin America. If you are not here legally, you do not have the right to make a living in this country. This nonsense about 'you just want to work' is marred by the fact that as soon as they become entrenched here, they (illegal immigrznts) start making demands. Some of these demands are a need for Spnish speaking teachers. If you want a 'Spanish-speaking teacher' why not go back home? There are plenty of them down there. Also, in CA, they were demanding they be allowed to pay in-state college tuition, even though they are not here legally. College grads are very unlikely to pick vegetables for the rest of their lives, so the progeny of illegals go on to compete with natural born citisens for good paying jobs. While they whine about what's 'not fair' to them, it is not fair for any native-born American citizen to have to compete with the children of illegal aliens for American jobs. That is unfair in every sense.

[tammytyler]

CBS news get this straight!
AMERICAN JOBS BELONG TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!
ILLEGAL ALIENS HAVE NO BUSINESS TAKING OUR JOBS.
Try working in Mexico illegally! It will not happen!

Stop with the sob stories. I imagine you work for the Multinational corporations pushing this crap!
AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS LAWLESSNESS AND ANARCHY!
ICE do your job to deport these lawless foreigners!

[wyodutch]

The plant's owner, Shalom Rubashkin, has a brother...
.
Last month's fire at Rabbi Moshe Rubashkin's abandoned textile mill in Allentown, Pennsylvania has been ruled arson by the city and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).
.
Rubashkin, brother of AgriProcessors Rabbi Sholom M. Rubashkin, is president of the government-funded Crown Heights (Brooklyn) Community Council. Rabbi Moshe Rubashkin was convicted of bank fraud and served more than a year in federal prision. He was released just in time to run for the Council's presidency.

[mrs_trepidatious]

See you liberals? Obama destroyed the economy of this town when he kicked out the freedom workers. Shame on you!

[SusanStoHelit]

The reason Americans aren't being hired there is because the plant owners don't want them to be. Hire Americans - and safety violations (a ton of them were found) will be reported by people you cannot shut up by threatening to call INS or terminate their employment and send them back to their home country. You can't force citizens to work unpaid overtime with those threats either. No wonder these crooked owners don't want to hire Americans.

We've done these jobs all throughout history, we work today at hard jobs and for minimum wage - the only reason few (not zero) Americans are being hired is because the owners don't want to hire citizens. We expect fair pay, a reasonable workplace, proper safety, and rules preventing unpaid overtime - nothing corrupt businessmen - or their supporters - wish to pay for.

[SusanStoHelit]

I see the plant is still using a corrupt business's favorite tactic - offer low wages that are too low for the work being asked (ideally while doing all they can to not advertise the job), then when people don't work for the wage, offer that as proof that they cannot hire Americans. Meatpacking used to pay a fair wage, and Americans did it. Offer next to nothing in pay, lousy conditions, no insurance, and it's no surprise that many (not all - some are that desperate) Americans will move on to the next job.

[SusanStoHelit]

The lost jobs were filled by Somalis - who can fill the town just as well as illegals - far better, being legal workers - and also by legal American citizens - they made mention of them - only briefly (between this and another - CBS News sure seems to have a slant they want to sell on illegals - ignore the jobs they steal and the problems it causes, report on towns like this with half the story).

Meat packing used to be a job that paid well and supported many a blue collar family. Then they started hiring illegals - wages dropped to match what illegals could be made to take, safety conditions were cut (illegals don't dare to complain to safety organizations), and the jobs and the income and the taxes were lost to America.

[contraryjim]

Times are gone when two people could reach an agreement, one to offer work, the other to provide it without nanny government butting in. Land of the Free? Not on your axx.

[ibsteve2u]

The funniest - in a pathetic, any lie that will support the breaking of America's laws sort of way - thing that I read in the comments is:

"Americans do not work for minimum wage." Posted by novamba at 5:45 PM : Jun 14, 2009

Man. I am surprised that anyone would have the brass to put such a thing in writing.

[kyrockbkgold]

Still means the American citizens of many generations here, are still not wanting to show up and do a hard day's work, like our ancestors did. That is the point.
Posted by ClaudiaW2010 at 6:39 PM : Jun 14, 2009

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However, when heads of families must rely entirely on jobs that pay too little to support an adequate living standard, policymakers are justifiably concerned.

How many low-wage workers fall into this latter category and what are their characteristics?

Number of Workers Affected

* One in three low-wage workers lives in a low-income family?that is, a family whose annual income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
* Nearly one in five low-wage workers lives in a low-income family with children.

Characteristics of Workers Affected

* One in three low-wage workers in low-income families earns all or most (over 50 percent) of the family income.
* Almost one in six low-wage workers is an unmarried mother.
* Of every five workers who are in low-wage jobs one year, two move into moderate-wage positions by the following year.
* Nearly three in 10 low-wage workers are high-school dropouts, in contrast to less than one and a half in 10 of the workforce as a whole.
* Nearly one in four low-wage workers are foreign-born, and one in five are noncitizens.

http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/herman/reports/futurework/conference/low-wage.htm

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"Nearly one in four low-wage workers are foreign-born, and one in five are noncitizens."

Four out of five low-paying jobs are filled by (American?) citizens! So that blows your viewpoint out of the water.

[ffoulkes-2009]

ffloukes...I realize you are thick, so I will tell you I am not Hispanic. My ancestry is English, German, and French. You are under the impression that only other Hispanics can appreciate the hard work they do. Any useful comments on the state of the American worker today?
Posted by ClaudiaW2010 at 6:27 PM : Jun 14, 2009
_____________

The one being thick here is you. I appreciate all hard workers...not just Hispanics, and I DO NOT appreciate illegal workers. They should either not be here, or be here legally.

[ffoulkes-2009]

Does it say anything in that article that many of the workers now being hired at the plant are non-Hispanic foreigners (e.g., new immigrants from African nations)? I read that in a legitimate news article. Still means the American citizens of many generations here, are still not wanting to show up and do a hard day's work, like our ancestors did. That is the point.
Posted by ClaudiaW2010 at 6:39 PM : Jun 14, 2009
________________
You are so full of it. Maybe you and your friends are beyond doing the work, but I have, as well as most I know. People are people...either they are here legally or not. I don't care if the employees at these plants are legal immigrants so long as they are LEGAL. You have personal problems you need to address.

[ClaudiaW2010]

See the article in the San Diego Union Tribune (signonsandiego.com) July 29, 2008, "IOWA TOWN SEES NEW INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS...Somalis Fill Jobs Once Held by Hispanics", article written by Henry C. Jackson. These Somalian workers are legal citizens from the Minneapolis area, according to Mr. Jackson. Still, not the American workers you say are clammering for these jobs.

[gravyboat3000]

I'm confused, were the illegals doing jobs that supported the jobs of Americans?

CBS, we don't ALL watch y'all's programming year round, a little, "background", would have been nice on this story.

Bottom line, if employees are lost due to illigals, and those who enabled them to get and keep jobs being arrested, how is the unemployment an issue?