Posted on 05/18/2008 2:45:11 AM PDT by BunnySlippers
POSTVILLE, Iowa -- Antonio Escobedo ran to get his wife Monday when he saw a helicopter circling overhead and immigration agents approaching the meatpacking plant where they both work. The couple hid for hours inside the plant before obtaining refuge in the pews and hall at St. Bridget's Catholic Church, where hundreds of other Guatemalan and Mexican families gathered, hoping to avoid arrest.
"I like my job. I like my work. I like it here in Iowa," said Escobedo, 38, an illegal immigrant from Yescas, Mexico, who has raised his three children for 11 years in Postville. "Are they mad because I'm working?"
Monday's raid on the Agriprocessors plant, in which 389 immigrants were arrested and many held at a cattle exhibit hall, was the Bush administration's largest crackdown on illegal workers at a single site. It has upended this tree-lined community, which calls itself "Hometown to the World." Half of the school system's 600 students were absent Tuesday, including 90 percent of Hispanic children, because their parents were arrested or in hiding.
According to an affidavit filed by an ICE agent in conjunction with this week's arrests, 76 percent of the 968 employees on the company's payroll over the last three months of 2007 used false or suspect Social Security numbers. The affidavit cited unnamed sources who alleged that some company supervisors employed 15-year-olds, helped cash checks for workers with fake documents, and pressured workers without documents to purchase vehicles and register them in other names.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The strategy is to cudgel business interests who aren't supporting the President's amnesty/open-borders plan, into falling into line by making present law an expensive concern.
Business is the "audience" the Administration works to please. Right now, the immigrant-importing, wage-breaking interests are disciplining the rest of the business community to get on board with The Program and help b*tch-slap the citizenry into accepting (effectively) unlimited immigration.
As Seven of Nine once said, "You will comply."
So then the majority were no arrested because they committed a crime by coming here without papers, our govt is more interested because these criminals dealt with the I.R.S. in an illegal manner.
The I.R.S. got Caopnne too.
Funny, Mexicans, the new WOPs.
Without papers.
Actually, in this case, over 90 percent were Guatemalans.
Well, it was a "meat packing plant."
Mark
Small wonder why that happened. Between hiring illegals and no doubt paying them less than the going wage, child labor law violations, and environmental violations detailed in the article, it is small wonder that this firm has been able to outperform its competitors. What of their rights?
Maybe the Bush administration has no political iron in this fire except a general directive from the president to finally enforce our laws and the ICE is understandably focusing on an egregious violator.
The political objective, however, is to raise a cry of pain in the business community for alley-in-free amnesty.
And last month, the company lost a federal appellate court battle over whether it could ignore a vote by workers at its Brooklyn distribution center to unionize, on grounds that those in favor were illegal immigrants and not entitled to federal labor protections.
Now, ain't that brazen?
The affidavit cited unnamed sources who alleged that some company supervisors employed 15-year-olds, helped cash checks for workers with fake documents, and pressured workers without documents to purchase vehicles and register them in other names.In addition, the affidavit alleged that company supervisors ignored a report of a methamphetamine drug lab operating in the plant. It also cited a case in which a supervisor blindfolded a Guatemalan worker and allegedly struck him with a meat hook, without serious injury.
If this doesn't call for a major investigation of the company, what would?
The union organizer did raise a valid point - with the illegals deported so are the witnesses against the supervisors.
Boy, I missed that ... about the unions.
Six year too late. The damage has been done. There is now marching in the streets. Anchor babies are everywhere.
I can only come to the conclusion that Bush's objective of a "new America" is well on its way and these raids will not hamper the goal.
.....<
| We are now one of the largest Spanish-speaking nations in the world. We're a major source of Latin music, journalism and culture. Just go to Miami, or San Antonio, Los Angeles, Chicago or West New York, New Jersey ... and close your eyes and listen. You could just as easily be in Santo Domingo or Santiago, or San Miguel de Allende. For years our nation has debated this change -- some have praised it and others have resented it. By nominating me, my party has made a choice to welcome the new America. Our future cannot be separated from the future of Latin America. As I speak, we are celebrating the success of democracy in Mexico. George Bush from a campaign speech in Miami, August 2000. |
Here is an excerpt of a good critique of that speech:
In equating our intimate historic bonds to our mother country and to Canada with our ties to Mexico, W. shows a staggering ignorance of the civilizational facts of life. The reason we are so close to Britain and Canada is that we share with them a common historical culture, language, literature, and legal system, as well as similar standards of behavior, expectations of public officials, and so on. My Bush Epiphany By Lawrence Auster
An illegal said: “Are they mad because I’m working?”
No, we’re mad that YOU’RE HERE ILLEGALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
bttt
An accurate headline would have been:
"Illegal Aliens' Criminal Activities Jar Small Town"
No emotional BS, just the facts.
I live about an hour north and west of West Palm Beach, Florida.
Many small agricultural towns dot the map and each one is teaming with Guatemalans, Hondurans, Mexicans tec. If Ice were to show up in Indiantown, pahokee, Belle Glade, or any one of a dozen other little places they could gather the majority of folks living there and deport their illegal rear ends.
But hey ya can’t go against big agriculture business, citrus and sugar. And the politically connected Fanjul family.
Good Deal !
“So then the majority were no arrested because they committed a crime by coming here without papers, our govt is more interested because these criminals dealt with the I.R.S. in an illegal manner.”
There’s the key to dealing with the problem. A very simple tool to address illegal aliens would be to remove any tax deduction for wages paid to illegal workers. No company is going to risk losing their ability to deduct the wages for their workers on their taxes.
Illegal aliens aren’t here for the fine cuisine or to see the sights. They’re here for jobs. It’s an economic issue that needs to be addressed using economic tools.
Boo-friggin-hoo.
“”The problem is, who is going to do the work?” said Stephen G. Bloom, a University of Iowa journalism professor who wrote a 2000 book on the clash of cultures in Postville as Agriprocessors’ Lubavitch Jewish leaders gained influence in the mostly Lutheran town. “This is a no-win situation.””
Americans who wont let the company get away with violating the law.
Not the most upstanding company:
Agriprocessors
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Agriprocessors is the corporate identity of a slaughterhouse and meat-packaging factory that is in an incorporated area of Postville, Iowa best known as a facility for the glatt kosher processing of cattle, as well as chicken, turkey, duck, lamb and veal.[1]. It is the largest kosher meatpacking plant in the United States [1].
It was founded by Aaron Rubashkin. Rubashkin is regarded as an innovator in the kosher meat industry, bringing modern industrial methods to what has historically been a small, almost boutique craft[2]. Two-thirds of its output, however, is non-kosher and is marketed under the brand Iowa Best Beef[3]. Its kosher products are marketed under the brand names Aaron’s Best and Rubashkins. The current CEO is the founder’s son Sholom Rubashkin and another son, Heshy Rubashkin is also active in the organization.
Rubashkin purchased the meat packing facility in 1987.[4]
Agriprocessors was subjected to serious charges of using inhumane methods of slaughter, of being unsanitary, of maintaining an unsafe work environment and of mistreating its employees. All of this was propelled by a secret video[5] released by PETA, leading to further attention. PETA ineffectively picketed the Allamakee County District Attorney to start an investigation[6], something that received more coverage elsewhere than locally.
Temple Grandin, recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the design of cattle containment and slaughter, is said to have been appalled at what she saw on the tape. Jewish commentators stated, based on what was seen on the tape, that the practices violated Jewish law, and thus the products’ kosherness were suspect.[7]. After the initial controversy, however, audits by competent private firms as well as governmental agencies passed favorably on Agriprocessors’ practices. In particular, Temple Grandin toured the facility on June 27, 2006, and by Agriprocessors own statement, she is stated to have approved of everything she saw[8][9].
In 2000 the book Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America was written about the sometimes uneasy relationship between the plant and the local community.
[edit] Recent developments
In a news release dated January 23, 2007, 2,700 pounds of frankfurters offered for sale in the Northeast were voluntarily recalled as having been under-processed[10]. In September 2005, the company’s employees voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers union. When the company refused to bargain, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The company claimed that most of those who voted are undocumented aliens, arguing that undocumented aliens are prohibited from unionizing because they do not qualify as “employees” protected by the National Labor Relations Act. “Because the company’s argument ignores both the Act’s plain language and binding Supreme Court precedent,” the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a case argued October 19, 2007 and Decided January 4, 2008, denied the company’s petition for review. [11].
[edit] Pollution
On August 31, 2006. Agriprocessors signed a consent decree where they essentially admitted discharging untreated sewage into the Postville system, in violation of Federal and Iowa State law and paid a $600,000 fine for violating waste-water regulations[12][13][14]
Starting in 2004, city authorities started an investigation against Agriprocessors due to complaints from local residents that they routinely deposited untreated effluence into local rivers in breach of regulations. On August 31, 2006. Agriprocessors signed a consent decree[15] and paid a $600,000 fine for violating waste-water regulations.[16]
[edit] Federal immigration raid
On the 12 May 2008 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (”ICE”) staged a raid on the plant which was described as the largest in the history of the United States. Federal authorities arrested hundreds of illegal immigrant workers during the raid. ICE spokesman Tim Counts said that “The raid was aimed at seeking evidence of identity theft, stolen Social Security numbers and for people who are in the country illegally” [2]. Federal immigration authorities also asserted that “a methamphetamine laboratory was operating at the slaughterhouse” and that “employees carried weapons to work” [3].
I think you’re spot on with this. Enough is enough. The Catholic Church should not be in the business of providing sanctuary to criminals.
See, I’m confused.
I thought all these illegals came to America for Big Macs.
Round em ALL up and send them bac to from where they came ILLEGALLY.
That makes no sense. The business community is already one of the biggest supporters of immigration to keep their labor costs down. Who do you think was doing all the howling in Arizona when they recently passed their very effective law against businesses hiring illegals?
......Temple Grandin......
A self promoting advocate for not eating meat, wrote the Wickapedia article
All of them, if they are here illegally should be deported. If they had the lack of foresight to have children here (now citizens under misused law), their children should be turned over to CPS. From what I see here on FR from the anti-LDS crowd, that CPS thing works out real nice in Texas.......
The owners need to go to jail. They don’t even have to be charged with harboring illegals. Apparently there are plenty of other charges to muss them up. It does no good to deport the illegals to their home country. Better to deport them to some island in the Pacific.
Once all the illegals are deported the US should seize the plant and all assets and sell it to the highest bidder.
Doesn't make sense to me- do you really think a business that hires this many illegals is not already a supporter of open borders? I think these raids are being done so when the politicians bring up amnesty again they can point to all they have done to solve the problem. I think it is theatre for the rest of us; to convince us that something is being done about the illegals.
I've noted the leftward slant of a lot of things at Wickapedia . It goes right along with the major media leftward slant as well as that of public education. the left has control of the institutions that matter.
On the face of it, this article as well as the Wickapedia information appears to be on the up and up though.
With Out Papers?
Dang, I didn’t know you had this one. I have been looking for it for months. Thanks!
Actually, it wouldn't have occurred to me to think that, except that I did run across a story -- originally in the WaPo, I think (but my short-term memory isn't what it should be) -- that said explicitly that the Administration strategy is indeed to open up the possibility of full enforcement and its attendant costs to businesses that heretofore have relied on administrative laxity as their palladium, while they hired illegals in the teeth of the law.
Liberal activists busy defining things.
Some hard-working FReepers, including Bryan, had to fight a vigorous rear-guard action against some DU termites that had written a wiki article on Free Republic, defining it as a "hate site".
The FReepers eventually prevailed, and the prejudicial language was expunged.
The DUmmies put their stuff up and then played "show me an article in a newspaper of record that contradicts us" -- the "newspapers of record" being the WaPo and The New York Times.
Just call the ATF and the FBI and let them race to see who can "Waco" them out first!
Don't look now, but the mainstream Protestant churches are just as deeply involved in the "pro-illegal" business as the Catholics.
I thought that quote was fascinating. Hiding a meth lab in a big abbatoir? Who'd have thought to look for that?
On the other hand, one giveaway of a meth lab is the frequency of pungent chemical odors. A meat-packing plant with its ambient organic odors would tend to mask the meth-lab odors.
Wonder if this is a pattern?
In their own stupid way the WaPo does have a point. They should have had every manager at the plant doing the perp walk on national TV, that would give business owners something to think about. Instead they caught a few small fish that will be replaced with other small fish in a matter of days.
I wonder who’s social security number has he been using for those 11 years?
Agree !
Infestation versus anything even closely resembling immigration........
Follow the legal path or suffer the wrath !
Stay safe ya’ll !
They also uncovered a meth lab at the facility, but that is rarely mentioned in news accounts.
I wonder how much those 300 students (whose parents probably weren’t paying to support the school) was costing the school district...
According to one in the article workers made $60 a day. Wow!
This slaughter house really is a slaughter. Not too many Americans are going to work for that.
Shut them down!
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