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 (AP Photo by Matthew Putney, The Waterloo Courier) Imagination and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters Veronica Reuter-Villagrana, left, and Jackie Benitez, shout at motorists driving by on Ansborough Ave in front of the National Cattle Congress grounds in Waterloo, Iowa, Monday, May 12, 2008. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say 390 people have been arrested on immigration charges after Monday's raid at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville. |
Daily Reporter Staff
A total of 306 people who were detained at Agriprocessors Inc of Postville have now been arrested on criminal charges, federal prosecutors confirmed in a statement released Thursday.
The 281 men and 25 women are part of a group of 389 people who were administratively arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday.
"Based on the number of criminal arrests, this is the largest criminal work site enforcement operation ever in the United States," U.S. Attorney Matt Dummermuth said.
Dummermuth's statement, faxed late Thursday to news organizations, said charges in complaints vary by individual and include allegations of aggravated identity theft, false use of a social security number, illegal reentry into the Untied States and fraudulent use of an alien registration card.
"This has been an unprecedented undertaking in nearly all respects," Dummermuth said. "Since May 12, ICE agents, other law enforcement partners and attorneys and support staff from my office have worked literally around the clock to process those administratively arrested in Postville and determine who would face criminal arrest. To have this completed within three days is phenomenal."
Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Cedar Rapids, wouldn't comment regarding the raid's ramifications on employers in northwest Iowa who may rely on workers who come from other countries to work in the United States.
"We're not in a position where we can make policy-type comments yet," Teig said.
Claude Arnold, Special Agent in Charge of ICE's Office of Investigations said his agency worked closely with the U.S. Attorney's Office and with attorneys representing the detainees to ensure detainees' rights were fully protected.
Those arrested on criminal charges have received court-appointed defense attorneys and have had initial appearances in Federal court. Those detained on the criminal charges are being held by the U.S. Marshal in local jails. Status hearings
in the cases have been set for next week at temporary court facilities in Waterloo.
Some detainees had initially been housed overnight in Estel Hall in Waterloo, according to Arnold. All detainees not arrested on criminal charges will now be held in ICE custody at other locations.
Of the 389 administratively arrested, 62 were released on humanitarian grounds and 21 are being held on administrative charges. Of those 83, 18 were juveniles between the ages of 13 and 17. They were released to an adult or turned over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Those who do not face criminal charges will be placed into administrative immigration removal proceedings to be conducted at other locations.
Monday's enforcement drew an immediate reaction from Gov. Chet Culver's office. He said he received notice that a raid was imminent. He also said the state had limited involvement in the enforcement.
"I believe it is important that we crack down on illegal immigration," he said, in a statement posted on his Web site Monday. "Illegal means illegal. Not just those who cross the border, but also those who are responsible for helping make it happen -- traffickers, identity thieves, those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and anyone who has taken advantage of employees or turned a blind eye. At the same time we must take care to protect due process, and consider the impact on a small community and the people involved."
Culver also said he emphasized the importance of addressing the humanitarian concerns of detainees and their families. He directed Lt. Gov. Patty Judge to assemble a working group to ensure that state agencies are assisting the community in dealing with the aftermath of the packing plant raid.
Members include representatives from Iowa Workforce Development, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Human Rights, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Health, and the Iowa Civil Rights Commission.
Eric7 I Agree. South Dakota is having the same problems along with other states. I don't know why they don't ship them back immediately instead of tying up our courts. We owe them NOTHING. As usual America is a but kissing place and soon the white people will be the minorities and the illegals will run the country. They come here and try to change our country --they can go back to their own country and try to change it. I have noticed that they drive nice cars and wear nice clothes-wish I could afford all of that. They also steal ID's from hard working Americans to get their jobs and their homes and cars. Also credit cards. Why should we be expected to like them?
What really angered me (and I guess that was probably their whole intent, anyway) was the photo with this article. Just look at that picture. A bunch of hard-core Mexicans (many if not all of them probably illegal, themselves) brazenly waving their foreign flag and sporting their foreign colors, in Iowa. Look at the arrogance on that girl's face, on the right. Being allowed to just enter our country and break our laws for so long has really made these alien people cocky. They're basically shaking their booty in gringo's face and daring him to do anything about them. And they actually wonder why they're so intensely disliked, by an ever-increasing number of people? They act like this and actually expect people to like them? If there was no caption with the photo you'd never know this picture was taken in Iowa. Where were the real, legitimate Iowans when this protest was going on? Where were the police and the INS? They should have checked these folks out, seized the illegal ones and thrown them into the fairgrounds with the other ones they'd already nabbed. Just the sight of such people anywhere in Iowa alone (or in any other state, for that matter) should raise some serious eyebrows, and at the very least spark investigative action by law enforcement. Further, the fact that these people all got there so quickly, all decked out in their foreign, alien attire before many others in the country even knew the raid had happened indicates their probable legal status, in itself (undocumented workers can come and go as they please, from work --what do they really have to fear?)
Get these people out of my home state, and OUT OF MY COUNTRY. And take your Espanol with you, por favor -- I don't like pressing '1' for English, or having to hunt for my own lingo on the store shelves!