Immigration raid rattles locals

Buses like this were used by immigration officials to transport undocumented workers, mostly women, to Devens for processing. (ED COLLIER)

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A climate of fear has cast a pall over the local immigrant community in the wake of a government crackdown in a seaport town a hundred miles away.

When hundreds of federal agents checked into Fitchburg and Leominster hotels several days before they stormed New Bedford-based Michael Bianco Inc., rumors of a local raid spread quickly.

“It is devastating to families,” said Matthew Feinstein of the Worcester Global Action Network. “The police presence caused many to fear to go to work or send their children to school.”

Student absences based on the rumors Monday forced Fitchburg Schools Superintendent Andre R. Ravenelle to reassure parents and students that a raid would not happen in the Leominster-Fitchburg area. The very next day, the New Bedford operation netted 327 undocumented workers.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials raided the leather goods manufacturer Tuesday. According to Bruce E. Chadbourne, Boston-based field director for ICE, the operation was on a tight schedule. The plan: Collect those unable to prove their legal status, house them at Devens Reserve Forces Training Area for preliminary processing, then fly them to detention centers around the country. By all accounts, the operation was within the law and part of the mandate for the federal agency meant to enforce federal immigration laws.

Immigrant community members in Worcester County watched and waited in fear. When and where would ICE strike next? What could city officials do to prepare? What, if any, were the lessons to be learned?

“A lot of calls are coming in about this,” said Sara Burch, spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst. “Rumors are still rolling through the Fitchburg and Leominster area.”

About 14 percent of the commonwealth residents are immigrants. It is estimated about 200,000 of those immigrants are undocumented workers. Advocates say there is no way to estimate how many immigrants in Worcester County are undocumented.

“It has preoccupied us a lot,” said Saulo Araujo, coordinator for the Worcester Immigrant Coalition. “We feel really alienated. It affects all of us. We are living a life in the shadows.”

Mr. Araujo, who is a legal immigrant from Brazil, said the raids were traumatic for immigrants.

“How can we be safe? If you are afraid you can become destroyed,” he said. “Immigrants don’t want to report crimes or participate in society. They can’t go to the hospital.”

He said undocumented workers working with his organization do not feel comfortable speaking about their situation individually.

“But we will have a response to the situation,” Mr. Araujo said. “We are educating our people about their rights. We will not stay silent.”

Shuya Ohno of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition said after the initial social and economic costs of a raid like the one in New Bedford, a city must also come to grips with lost property taxes, rent and retail sales.

“These people came here with nothing,” Mr. Ohno said. “They worked to have money to buy things. Many pay income tax through a personal tax ID number. There are many businesses that cater to the population that will also struggle.”

“I understand the immigrant experience,” she said. “But so far, our solution has been to grant amnesty. That only postpones the solution.”

She said cites and towns are at the bottom of the food chain, without the ability to deal directly with undocumented workers.

“We have to decide the extent of our generosity. There are limits,” Ms. Lukes said. “Unless something is done on the national level, you will see backlash at the local level. We are helpless.”

Courts have ruled undocumented workers have the right to apply for asylum; to communicate with consular or diplomatic officers of their home country; to be represented by counsel; to challenge transfers to other detention facilities that might interfere with their right to counsel; to receive medically adequate treatment; to access free service lists and telephones and to access self-help and other legal reference material.

According to a 2004 report by the Congressional Research Service, the Department of Homeland Security has about 300,000 noncitizens in custody at detention centers around the country at a cost of about $80 a day for each detainee. The cost estimate does not include transportation.

That number is a significant increase from 2002, when the department’s predecessor, Immigration and Naturalization Service, prepared to detain about 18,000 people a year.

Sayra Pinto, executive director for the Twin Cities Latino Coalition, said she believes humane treatment for immigrants is a core American value.

“I think it is important that we balance the process we build to ensure that the law is followed with basic respect for the human rights of U.S. citizen children who have had their families torn apart,” Ms. Pinto said.

Randy Feldman, a Worcester-based immigration lawyer, said laws need to be changed to match the needs of employers and immigrant workers.

“If we had a comprehensive solution, then we can throw the book at people,” Mr. Feldman said. “But we don’t have that solution. So people are forced to suffer unnecessarily.”

Denise Monteiro, a spokeswoman for DSS, said the department has learned a lot of big lessons.

“Without proper planning, with children who are American citizens, you have something like this happen,” she said of the New Bedford raid and the children left behind.

Ms. Monteiro said the agency learned local coordination and an anonymous hot line worked well in quickly matching families or caregivers.

“We needed to prove we were trustworthy,” she said in regard to the agency’s interaction with detainees. “Our community liaisons were a big success.”

She said another important reason for direct coordination with federal officials is the lasting repercussions on children with post-traumatic stress.

“This is a hidden culture. The parents are undocumented. They live in a different kind of world,” Ms. Monteiro said. “They live in very close, protected families. Now the children are devastated. Now mommy is gone. It is hard to imagine.”

Reader Comments --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I left Mass as a teen because of the nonsense.Nice to see sombody is smartning up.Sorry though too late. -lloyd --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Because it is a wonderful warm place to live if you follow the laws of our city and nation. -Resident --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If the weather suddenly turned tropical, worcester would still be a very cold place to call home. I can't figure out why anyone would leave their country to live there. -former documented worcester resident. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your article inserts the euphamism 'undocumented worker' for 'illegal immigrant.' This is not an issue about legal immigrants, this is entirely about illegal immigrants. You are misleading the public through your mis-characterization of these people as anything other than people who are in this country illegally and every single moment here are violating our laws. If things are so stressful and terrible for these people to live here - GOOD! Perhaps they should go back to their own countries and leave us to live as we please! We should encourage this! The comments about the economic benefits these people provide is tenuous at best - I am sure that a citizen/legal immigrant who is currently unable to get a job because illegal immigrants will work more cheaply (anyone looking for a construction job?) would stimulate the economy equally. -Seth Fancher --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The title 'Citizen of the United States' should not be treated as if you picked it up at the local 7-11. It is a privilege and the benefits of being one should not be handed out to anyone let alone those who choose to enter our country without permission. Would any of us welcome strangers into our homes as residents? -Will R --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

we must remember that this nation was founded and has survived under the rule of law. the rule of law is not a buffet line where we pick and choose what laws will and will not be enforced.many of our prersent families are children of legal immigration.legal immigration lest we not forget is to protect our nation from disease, and those who would do use harm. not just by acts of terror but also from every day acts of draining the system.I think it is safe to say that the majority of americans support immigration as long as it is performed legally..this nation has found that without legal immigration there is little integration..that leads to unamericanism. - great grandson of legal immigrants --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As a descendant of an immigrant I have no fear whatsoever. And if I did have fear, then why? Oh you mean illegal immigrants? Now I understand, and I hope more get arrested and eventually deported. Do you think these jobs and multi-million dollar contracts would go away if an illegal-immigrant were not there to work for minimum wage? Of course not. The bid price would have been more in line, the tax base would be much broader, and the economic situation would be better for everyone.

Journalists: Please get your articles more consistently accurate than inaccurate. -Bill --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By definition illegal aliens are here illegally. They have violated the law. Without Law and Order, what do we have left?

Let's write to your legislators and petition a law to deny automatic citizenship of children of illegal aliens. It is a giant loop hole. We must apply the proper laws and procedures to this immigration process before it is too late.

I am not anti-immigrant, for I am an immigrant.

From A Concerned Legal Immigrant. -From A Concerned Legal Immigrant --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This country owes it to it's citizens to deport all illegal immigrants and I hope they come to Worcester soon. I also hope to hear that this is taking places in all Cities and States. -Ste[hen Barry --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These 'immigrants' are not immigrants at all but illegal aliens! Hundreds of them come to this country, suck up the social benifits, over whelm the schools, hospitals and public assistance that real citiens pay for with our hard earned tax money!

These crimminals think because one of them cleans a toilet at te Marriot, that that entitles them all a free ride. Lock'em all up and send them to a detention facility in Cuba! They are not immigrating, they are entering illegally - GET IT? Illegal equals criminal! Immigrant equals some one who legally requests and is granted citizenship. That's just the plain facts!

Don't view these crimminals in the same light as the immigrants who followed the rules and requested citizenship. -Matt --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

they are useing s.s numbers to work,collecting benifits that is breaking the law! -tam --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kudos to I.N.S. These people are criminal knowingly breaking the law they should be afraid and shame on your paper for sugessting anything otherwise.

If a group of U.S. citezens knowingly breaking the law and raided and arrested in this manner they would be in jail and villified for putting their families and children in this situation.

For some reason this crime of stealing from the state and government is ok because these people are just trying to live a better life. I say this is not an exuse. Most of the other crimnals could claim the same thing. -Tim Giddens --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i love how these caring people shed a tear for these 'immigrants' but will they shed tears when they move to their nice hoods? -jj --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your article is very misleading because you don't mention the fact that these people are illegal immigrants and don't belong here in the first place Don't you think, M. Elizabeth Roman, it time you statring printing all of the facts, instead of just what you want people to hear....... Bill -Bill --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

key word not mentioned enough? ILLEGAL!!!! CASE CLOSED!resources are being sucked dry,what about REAL LEGAL AMERICANS? i know my grand parents came here to ellis island legaly -jj --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So where is the corporate responsibility in all this mess? Bottom line on this issue is if there were no employers willing to break the law and hire under paid undocumented workers, they would not settle here. I say go after the companies that hire them first. -Annother concerned taxpayer --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the face of the looming budget crisis in our city it is amazing that the writer would have such a slant on this situation and provides no opportunity for an opposing view. The Illegal Immigrants, some of which do work, many of whom use the social system to provide them with the necessities to stay in the city or the State. Not to mention the crime, violent and other that seem to be on the rise in our communities adding significantly to the cost factor. I also feel deeply for the children of those to enter this country illegally, however, much like those who choose to commit a criminal act and are incarcerated the choice was the parent not the system who creates the law to protect itself. The very people who now cry for the immigrants are the same who lay the ground work to get the immigrants into this difficult situation, and now choose to blame it on the heartless American who wants his country back. -Paul E. Cyr --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What do they have to fear, they are only 'undocumented workers'. If you break the law you are a criminal. -Paul --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your article makes no mention that these people are 'Illegal Aliens' not immigrants. They are criminals.They came here illegally,our Country is being flooded by illegal aliens, taking jobs, (jobs Americans will do).I praise Immigration Officials and I hope they go to Leominster/Fitchburg area, it is total devastation there. Your article is very slanted towards illegal criminals, this is one reason why it is losing subscribers. -Robert Williams --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of Telegram.com, the Telegram & Gazette, the New York Times Co. or any of its employees.

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M. Elizabeth Roman TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF eroman@telegram.com

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