Union drive was under way at plant raided by immigration authorities

Workers were trying to unionize the Agriprocessor, Inc., meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, before it became the scene of the nation’s largest-ever immigration raid, union officers said.

Twin Cities community leaders, immigrant rights supporters and human rights activists gathered Friday for a press conference in Minneapolis to condemn the May 12 raid, in which more than 400 people were detained. ICE – Immigration and Customs Enforcement – has initiated deportation proceedings against a number of them.

Additional coverage Minnesota activists support Iowa immigrants Julia Opoti, TC Daily Planet When news broke that hundreds of immigrants had been detained on charges of working illegally at a meat plant in Iowa, immigrant activists were mostly concerned that workers’ rights were being violated. Local activists protest Iowa immigration raid, help organize relief effort by Anna Pratt, Minnesota Monitor Late Friday afternoon, a crowd assembled on a vibrant street corner in Minneapolis to protest the recent immigration raid of the Agriprocessor, Inc., meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa. Solidarity with Postville by Amalia Anderson, Carlos Ariel, Axel Fuentes, Reginaldo Haslett Marroquín, and Ana Nájera Mendoza As Guatemalans (by birth and by family origin) living in Minnesota and Iowa, we strongly condemn the Postville, Iowa raid—the largest single-site enforcement operation of its kind in the history of the United States.

The raid has split families and spread fear throughout the community, speakers at the news conference said.

“We understand that the root causes of immigration have a lot to do with the disparity between the rich and the poor,” explained Martha Ockenfels-Martinez, a youth organizer for the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network. “Treating people in this way is morally wrong. Workers are not criminals – it’s the immigration system that is criminal.”

“This raid and abusive detention signifies union busting,” said Rafael Espinosa, an organizer with United Food & Commercial Workers Local 789. An active union drive was under way at the plant before the raid, he said.

Nationally, the United Food & Commercial Workers union condemned the raid and said it not only disrupted the organizing drive, but interfered with an on-going child labor investigation.

Over the weekend, advocates in Minnesota conducted a food drive to help the families in Postville and raised cash donations. Contributions may be sent to:

Veridian Credit Union
P.O. Box 6000
Waterloo, IA 50701

In Iowa, the Roman Catholic archibishop of Dubuque issued a statement saying the raids had created a “state of terror” among families in Postville.

“The actions taken by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Postville on May 12 highlight once again the need for comprehensive immigration reform,” Archbishop Jerome Hanus said. “Families have been disrupted; parents and children are filled with fear. Many are uncertain whether their loved ones will be arrested, imprisoned indefinitely or deported.

“This state of terror for families is evidence that our political system has not adequately addressed the demand for labor, the inadequacies of our present immigration policies and practices, and the broader economic challenges. Some of the weakest members among us are bearing the brunt of the suffering, while legislators and other leaders, as well as many of us in the general public, have failed to give this issue the priority that it deserves.”

The superintendent of the Postville schools told the East Iowa Gazette that large numbers of the district’s Latino students were staying home from school out of fear. One of the top high school seniors, set to graduate this term, was in hiding with his family, he said.