390 Immigrants Detained in Raid In Iowa

Almost 400 people have been detained in a raid at the country's largest kosher slaughterhouse, in Postville, Iowa. This is more than a third of all workers in the plant, and almost 1 in 6 residents of the town. No matter what anyone says, this raid will destroy the Hispanic population and cripple the town.

The following are photos and excerpts from the Des Moines Register coverage of the raids.

Hidie Roach, a teller at Citizens State Bank in Postville, said the raid gives the town a bad name. The town needs the packing plant, Roach said. "I think a lot of people will leave." (Des Moine Register)

The local churches have been flooded with people seeking refuge and guidance.

The town is rallying, with many residents volunteering at food lines and offering everything from clothing to blood and taking care of the broken families left behind.
Another worrisome question is whether the detainees are getting proper legal counsel.

"It appears that detainees are not receiving adequate time to meet with their lawyers, and that defense attorneys are being overwhelmed by requests to represent far more clients than is advisable -- or perhaps even ethical," ACLU of Iowa President Ben Stone said in the statement. "We are concerned that the sheer size of this raid is likely to result in numerous violations of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the due process rights of all persons in this country." (Chicago-Tribune)

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) released a statement earlier today on the Iowa raids. MIRA asks some very good questions...

"Is it really in the country's best interest to be spending federal
resources to tear apart families, to traumatize young children, to devastate
small towns, and to ruin local economies, at a time when the country have
other pressing challenges and concerns? Shouldn't we instead be protecting
all working families in America from exploitation, guaranteeing the fair and
just treatment of every worker, especially the most vulnerable? Immigration
enforcement should not exacerbate the exploitation of workers, nor should it
interfere with labor laws that are vital to protect all working families in
America."