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Immigration raid at kosher plant largest in U.S. history

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By staff and wire reports

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 02:24:31 pm CDT

Federal officials say a raid at a northeastern Iowa meat processing plant this week was the largest in U.S. history, in terms of the number of people arrested.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say 390 people have been arrested on immigration charges after Monday’s raid at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, the world’s largest kosher meatpacking plant.

The plant and the town of Postville have drawn national attention in recent years because the plant is owned by the Rubashkin family, who are members of the Lubavitch sect of Hasidic Jews, who  live in strict compliance with commandments in the Torah. The laws dictate their dress, prayer, study, diets and gender roles.

Story Photo
Protesters line Ansborough Ave. in front of the National Cattle Congress grounds in Waterloo, Iowa, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are holding those arrested after a immigration raid of Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville, Iowa on Monday, May 12, 2008. Federal immigration agents on Monday arrested 390 people in Postville during a raid at the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant. (AP Photo/Waterloo Courier, Matthew Putney)

Their operation of the Kosher meat plant in Postville was documented in a 2000 book, "Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America," by  Stephen Bloom, a journalism professor at the University of Iowa.

The Rubashkins also own a meat processing plant in Gordon, Neb., Local Pride, operated in cooperation with the Oglala Sioux tribe of South Dakota.  There was no raid on that plant, the Associated Press reported. 

Bloom's book documents how, except in the course of business, the Postville Hasidim largely kept to themselves, which did not sit well with some residents who made efforts to reach out.

The Rubashkins have faced labor shortages in Postville, which attracted other immigrants to the area, including non-English-speaking Eastern Europeans and Hispanics.

The raid this week was aimed at seeking evidence of identity theft, stolen Social Security numbers and people who are in the country illegally, authorities said.

Fifty-six of those arrested have been released on humanitarian grounds,  many of them to take care of children, the Associated Press reported.

The hundreds of people arrested were held in local jails or driven by bus about 75 miles to the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo. Federal authorities previously leased the fairgrounds and have turned it into a secure center.

According to an affidavit and search warrant, authorities relied heavily on an informant who infiltrated the plant with documents provided by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.  The informant was hired in January and wore recording devices monitored by ICE, according to the Associated Press.

The informant allegedly witnessed a system in which some employees were paid in cash or with checks that did not have Agriprocessors' name on them.

 Matt M. Dummermuth, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, said the raid came after months of planning, beginning in October. Federal agents were helped by state and local police.

The raid was reminiscent of the December 2006 immigration raids at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants in Iowa, Nebraska and four other states, that were criticized by immigrants’ advocates.

Asked if Monday's action differed from previous raids, officials said no.

  ``We're doing things the way we always do,'' said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of ICE's office in Bloomington, Minn.  “We're doing things the right way.''

 


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SIPNTHROED wrote on May 13, 2008 2:59 pm:
" It's about time. Legal immigration is great and needed. Illegal is illegal, doesn't matter if it's speeding, stealing, or coming into the country illegally, there must be consequences for all. "

 Now wrote on May 13, 2008 3:03 pm:
" hispanic or european ship them back and tell them to go through the legal process like many others have to. Next, fine the hell out of the company. Say about 20,000 dollars for each illegal. Make something bad happen to this company to make others take notice. Stick the bill for deportation to the company too. Glad to see Iowa take care of business, Will nebraska do the same? "

 Grundle wrote on May 13, 2008 3:12 pm:
" Good! These raids need to be made more often...and the businesses need to be punished for hiring illegal immigrants. While it is heartening to see that one of the protesters brought an American flag, I'm less than impressed with those who display the Mexico flag. Honor your culture, your heritage, and your history...but above all, honor your country. If the country of Mexico is 'your' country, then live there. It appears one protester inadvertently hit the nail right on the head...we are all equal. They are absolutely right, and NO ONE is above the law in this country. Our legal system needs to prove this by punishing the owners of this packing plant severely, and sending the illegals that were caught back to Mexico. "

 MarkyMark wrote on May 13, 2008 3:15 pm:
" You never hear much about these busts. What do these feds do the other 364 days of the year? The fact is that immigration laws have been pretty much ignored by our current administration. "

 JP wrote on May 13, 2008 3:21 pm:
" Way to go!!! Keep up the good work!! Illegals are illegal. "

 Now wrote on May 13, 2008 3:29 pm:
" will the plant owners be punished? Obviously, if the plant hadn't hired the immigrants, they wouldn't be there. Each employee has to have a SSN and a card and a birth certificate. And notice, the plant owners have faced labor shortages which indicates they didn't have legal Americans lined up for jobs. What is the logical, practical solution to all this? Employers needing employees--people needing jobs--how is that problem solved? "

 Grundle wrote on May 13, 2008 3:56 pm:
" The problem is solved by paying legal U.S. residents a fair wage for working in these meat-packing plants. The widespread practice of hiring illegal immigrants has resulted in poor wages in these plants, which is why the corporations need to be punished monetarily. Maybe fine them in accordance with what they would have had to pay had they been hiring legal citizens of this country. "

 yeah wrote on May 13, 2008 4:06 pm:
" I'm glad they had an informant that noted the plants illegal pay practices. This means they can nail the plant on Tax Evasion as well. "

 Galen wrote on May 13, 2008 4:10 pm:
" There were 56 released on "humanitarian grounds". They've been using that excuse for years. Ship mom and dad back home where they belong - and take Junior with them.
We need raids like this more often and more in depth. "

 All aboard.. wrote on May 13, 2008 4:10 pm:
" To the above questions about needing employees but not finding them means that the company needs to have a more attractive package, salry and benefits, to attract workers. Pretty simple answer. Hiring illegals isn't! "

 Nicole Delgado wrote on May 13, 2008 4:12 pm:
" I think that everyone has a right to be here, illegal or not, this is a free country and many of them come here to live that dream, yeah there is legal things needed to do to become a citizen but everyone just has a dream and they should be able to live it if there not causing no harm, "

 Jorge wrote on May 13, 2008 4:30 pm:
" While these raids are needed to eliminate a culture of illegal activity, there is a legal process and labor shortage that calls for streamlined legal immigration. It is too bad McCain and Bush haven’t been able to lead the nation forward. The present condition harms our economy and the flow of labor across the hemisphere. Failed integration of Ag, Labor and Homeland Security is evidence our nation must elect new leaders who are not career politicians.. "

 Justin Larsen wrote on May 13, 2008 4:33 pm:
" Any running for legislature and said this is a 100% FEDERAL ISSUE, then that may be a reason not to vote for them because it is a joint task and States do play a huge part!!! I see this happen in the twenty three states that my company operates in. Also in the paper Friday, May 2nd I used the meat packing plants as an example, you do the math. "

 Well Nicole wrote on May 13, 2008 4:45 pm:
" in this free country, there are still legal channels to come here - if the criminal, murderer, drug dealer, child molester on the run - has a "dream" to come to America - this free country....do they have a right to be here? would you want this type of illegal or legal, for that matter, living next door to you? How can you say everyone has a right to be here? If we, as citizens are required to follow the laws of this country - why do these illegals (with a dream) have a right to break these laws that govern our country? I have a dream too - I dream of the day when I don't have to work two or three jobs to get by because of higher costs across the board - because there is no way to hold these illegals "with a dream" accountable. If you are feeling so generous maybe you would like to support me and my family. Your idealism is unrealistic and naive. Open your eyes to the real world - take a trip to the homeless shelter - we have our own with a dream that could use some help. "

 Killing the goose wrote on May 13, 2008 5:31 pm:
" Let's just kill the goose that laid the golden egg folks. These immigrants bring far more into the economy than they take. Look it up on the Internet about the Texas report immigrants bring in 17 billion more into the economy than they take. This should make racists and the tolerance challenged feel good. "

 HPG wrote on May 13, 2008 5:50 pm:
" I worked for the Rubashkin's. This is no surprise. You should see the condition of the plant as well. Check with the USDA on complaint history from them. I was the Food Safety Manager. Got out of there before I got thrown in jail. "

 Oh Pioneers wrote on May 13, 2008 5:51 pm:
" It's like the new slavery but better. We work em till the political environment gets racially uptight. Then we crack down on them to make the whites feel that the problem is being addressed. Then we bringem back for another round. We get cheap labor and someone to blame our problems on all in one package. Freaking amazing!! "

 JUST CURIOUS wrote on May 13, 2008 7:16 pm:
" Did anyone else notice the picture and the person holding the Mexican Flag?? If they are so proud of it, then head on back and leave the USA. We are not holding them here. "

 LC wrote on May 13, 2008 7:19 pm:
" So how many of those 390 were members of management/administration who knowingly allowed this to happen? "

 Pat wrote on May 13, 2008 7:26 pm:
" Everybody is hollering "Illegal, illegal, illegal". Fair enough, but let's make it easier for people to work and immigrate here legally. Obviously there is a demand, so let's match these punitive measures with more incentives to immigrate legally. "

 Big Chief wrote on May 13, 2008 7:39 pm:
" Look for this incident to make the news in the East Coast cities like NYC, Philly and Boston in three days. A shortage of KOSHER certified beef will double the price in a short time. Anyone keeping a Kosher kitchen better have huge cash reserves if they want to eat Kosher. "

 Rock hard place wrote on May 13, 2008 8:14 pm:
" The employer's requirement for years has been the completion of a Form I-9 for new employees to verify their eligibility for employment. The employer is to review the employee's documentation and if it "appears" genuine, and the employee certifies that they are eligible for employment in the U.S., they are okay to hire.

Falsified documents are easy to obtain and these days with scanners, graphics software, color printers, etc., will look genuine. Undocumented workers often use real social security numbers and false names that match the real social security number.

An employer must accept the documents which are provided (if they look genuine) and even if they suspect an issue cannot ask for additional documentation or delve deeper for fear of discrimination law suits.

This employer might have suspected that they had problems, but may very well be in compliance with the law.

We need a better system! "

 Absurd wrote on May 13, 2008 8:23 pm:
" What 'killing the golden goose' said is true.
If you're happy for this raid, it should be because workers are no likely longer being exploited.
And to Galen-
You realize that if the child was born here, he is a legal citizen. So yes, allowing the parents to stay would be humanitarian. Or perhaps, you're suggesting to send mommy and daddy back, and leave 'jr.' here with no family. Guess where that child will end up going, and guess who will be paying for it.
These people are here to make a better living, are they harming any of you? Yes I agree they should go through it the legal way, but just because they're illegal now doesnt mean we shouldnt treat them like a human. If you were from Mexico, couldn't support your family there, and couldnt get into the States the legal, what would you do? "

 to absurd wrote on May 13, 2008 9:03 pm:
" If their child was born here then they could still send the illegal parents home and they can take "jr" with them, then when "jr" turns 18 he/she can come back as a legal resident but only he/she that was born here can come back all the while their parents can be trying to come here legally. "

 bad for the economy wrote on May 13, 2008 9:23 pm:
" I think the comments are interesting and all, but I can't believe that people really think that working illegal immigrants are doing no harm. Are you kidding me? They DO NOT pay taxes (if paid under the table), they take jobs away from Americans that need them, they run the price of labor down, they, a lot of times, get welfare, they're stealing people's identities, etc. And the kids being born here, they were born here illegally, they should be deported with their parents. "

 Wife of legal resident wrote on May 13, 2008 11:00 pm:
" My husband is a legal resident from Mexico and I was born and raised in Nebraska. Stories like this always provoke great discussions between us with our very different backgrounds. We disagree on some things, however, we agree it is important to become legal to live here. What most people don't understand is that it's not that simple. My husband was not automatically granted citizenship when he married me. He's been legal for nearly 3 decades (his whole life), but still has to go through the whole process as well as pay the full fee. I understand it is frustrating to see immigration out of control. Just try to remember that we ALL have some immigrants in our family tree and that they came here for the same reasons that the illegal immigrants have; promise of a better life for their families. "

 Like the Discussion wrote on May 14, 2008 6:20 am:
" I so agree with most comments. It does concern me what is happening to the economy due to this. Our own citizens are struggling, can't find jobs, hungry etc while if you speak another language you are almost guaranteed assistance. I know your country is improverished, that is why you came here but do it legally. You are ruining our "American" ideals, what we based our country on. Yes we all need to work, live together but do it the American way. If it was so bad then you wouldn't be here right???

But it is hurting our economy. Where I work they only hire non-English to clean. They refuse to follow orders stating they don't understand. Then the "American" boss is being sued because he tries to explain and they are taking it as harassment. It's not rocket science to put a roll of toilet paper on when you see the roll empty...that sounds like universal language to me. "

 Two Faced wrote on May 14, 2008 8:17 am:
" I'd be willing to wager the same people who believe the plants should only hire US citizens and pay them a decent wage and benefits are the same people who would complain when the price of their hot dogs goes up 25 cents to pay for the wages and benefits. You can't have it both ways. "

 JB wrote on May 14, 2008 8:57 am:
" Have to be "legal" to be "kosher"? Make the company pay for hiring these people. "

 OmahaAnnie wrote on May 14, 2008 8:58 am:
" Oy Vey! Anchor children should not be considered citizens until their parents are made citizens. sholem "

 JB wrote on May 14, 2008 9:19 am:
" Becoming an "American" his much easier then becoming a "Mexican". Compared to most countries becoming a citizen here is a "walk in the park" if you do it the right way. It is the people who sneak in that have the trouble. Americans would feel better torward them if they would try to learn our language. "

 Its pretty obvious wrote on May 14, 2008 11:05 am:
" that our illegal immigrants are providing something beneficial for someone in this country. If everyone in the US thought they are truly the problem the posters on this comment page think, there would be no illegal immigrants. And since no elected official can seem to come up with and get support for any plans, it's obvious "someone" is benefiting. Who is that "someone?" Figuring that out and dealing with that "someone" is the answer. And I think we all know who that "someone" is. And that shows how little control we average citizens have of our country. "

 Grundle wrote on May 14, 2008 1:04 pm:
" 'Two Faced says, "I'd be willing to wager the same people who believe the plants should only hire US citizens and pay them a decent wage and benefits are the same people who would complain when the price of their hot dogs goes up 25 cents to pay for the wages and benefits."

I hope you're not betting a lot...because you'd lose that bet. I, for one, would gladly pay a little bit more for my food knowing that American families are being employed to make it. "

 Dash wrote on May 14, 2008 1:56 pm:
" There is an answer to this mess. Make sure ICE check to see all employees are able to work here (or employers face fines/jail) and make sure all employees are UNION "

 Tammy wrote on May 14, 2008 2:47 pm:
" JB..have you ever tried to navigate our immigration system? I challenge you to go the INS website and figure it out. Our system for immigration is NOT simple. It is extrodinarily difficult to come here legally...UNLESS you already have family here or a job here. Hard to be the first in your family and hard to get a job without documentaion, but you can't get documentation unless you have a job. We need to reform our system. "

 JB wrote on May 14, 2008 2:51 pm:
" Tammy, check what a person has to do to become a "Mexican Citizen". It is impossible. You can sneak across our borders and drop a baby for it to be a citizen. "

 geewhiz wrote on May 14, 2008 10:15 pm:
" JB, for a normal person for Mexican, the wait time to become a legal permanent resident is currently around 15 years from the time you apply. This means that a relative currently living in the U.S. legally has to apply now and the beneficiary will not be able to become a LPR until 2023 (that is assuming the same wait time as it currently). Hmm.. that is a long time. For immigrants from countries other than Mexico, Phillipines and other "over-represented" areas, the time is much less. You may be willing to wait 15 years for legal immigration, but put yourself for a moment in their shoes.. those willing to try to do it and then realize how long it will be. "

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