Immigration raid in Iowa largest ever in US
Completely un-noted in the main-stream media is that the biggest immigration raid in history happened this week. Furthermore - since the owners of the business were Orthodox Jews it was a politically risky operation for the Bush Administration. This just might make me soften my anger at the current administration.
More important than the facts of the raid is the sub-text - how capitalism allows individuals with no historic connection to a community to move in and destroy the social fabric.
From the USA Today article, "About 200 Hasidic Jews arrived in Postville in 1987, when butcher Aaron Rubashkin of Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood reopened a defunct meat-packing plant with his two sons, Sholom and Heshy, just outside the city limits. Business boomed at the plant, reviving the depressed economy while pitting the newcomers against the predominantly Lutheran community. "
Immigration raid in Iowa largest ever in US
Henry Jackson, AP Writer
May 12, 2008
"WEST DES MOINES — A federal immigration raid at a kosher meatpacking plant in northeast Iowa was the largest such operation in U.S. history, with nearly 400 people arrested, federal officials said Tuesday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said at least 390 people were arrested on immigration charges as part of a raid Monday morning at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville. The plant had about 900 workers before the raid.
Most of the 314 men and 76 women arrested are from Guatemala and Mexico, but some were from Ukraine and Israel.
"Based on the number of ... arrests, this is the largest single site operation of its kind ever in the United States," said ICE spokesman Tim Counts.
The raid followed a months-long investigation into Agriprocessors, the largest kosher slaughterhouse in the world.
ICE officials would not comment on whether company officials could face criminal charges. Telephone messages left with Agriprocessors on Tuesday were not returned.
...
(as expected) The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa condemned the raids in a statement Tuesday."
More important than the facts of the raid is the sub-text - how capitalism allows individuals with no historic connection to a community to move in and destroy the social fabric.
From the USA Today article, "About 200 Hasidic Jews arrived in Postville in 1987, when butcher Aaron Rubashkin of Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood reopened a defunct meat-packing plant with his two sons, Sholom and Heshy, just outside the city limits. Business boomed at the plant, reviving the depressed economy while pitting the newcomers against the predominantly Lutheran community. "
Immigration raid in Iowa largest ever in US
Henry Jackson, AP Writer
May 12, 2008
"WEST DES MOINES — A federal immigration raid at a kosher meatpacking plant in northeast Iowa was the largest such operation in U.S. history, with nearly 400 people arrested, federal officials said Tuesday.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said at least 390 people were arrested on immigration charges as part of a raid Monday morning at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville. The plant had about 900 workers before the raid.
Most of the 314 men and 76 women arrested are from Guatemala and Mexico, but some were from Ukraine and Israel.
"Based on the number of ... arrests, this is the largest single site operation of its kind ever in the United States," said ICE spokesman Tim Counts.
The raid followed a months-long investigation into Agriprocessors, the largest kosher slaughterhouse in the world.
ICE officials would not comment on whether company officials could face criminal charges. Telephone messages left with Agriprocessors on Tuesday were not returned.
...
(as expected) The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa condemned the raids in a statement Tuesday."
Labels: immigration, kosher, Lutheran, slaughterhouse
posted by Puckpan at 5:36 AM
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