The Agriprocessor´s plant, ICE Raided of hundreds of workers in May, 2008, has shut down and filed for bankruptcy. Their managers have been criminally charged. Bail was denied for owner´s son Rubashkin, although later released on $1M bail. Since the ICE Raid in May, hundred of workers were sent to detention centers, prisons or shackled in ankle bracelets. Related businesses have also closed. Around the country, supermarkets and butcher shops supplying Jews who observe strict dietary laws have reported extreme shortages of kosher meat. Since there are only a handful of processors nationwide who slaughter animals according to Jewish law and under the supervision of rabbis, the shutdown has cut the kosher meat supply to the bone. This week, Agriprocessors may reopen, but only briefly. There are hundreds of thousands of chickens which will soon be too old to slaughter. A court-appointed bankruptcy trustee said he hopes to rehire about 170 workers and start processing chickens Monday or Tuesday this week. The mayor said they might have trouble finding workers because many former Agriprocessors employees have gone to work for meatpackers in Waterloo and Marshalltown. Another stumbling block is Agriprocessors owes their former workers several weeks of backpay. The trustee said employees who return immediately will receive their back pay and have a job. However, under the bankruptcy process, he said it would take weeks to get back pay.
Meanwhile, the local churches, free clinics and food pantries are feeding Postville´s hungry and unemployed families. While many may disagree about the issues of Immigration, Mass Deportation, ICE Raids and Detention centers, one thing is clear. Postville, Iowa provides a clear example of the devastation that occurs to a town when ICE Raids and Mass Deportation are deployed. Now, more than ever, our country is in dire need of Comprehensive Immigration Reform!
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Regardless of anyone´s opinion´s on Illegal Immigration, what Postville proves is, when a large ICE Raid or Mass Deportation occurs in any location, Devastation to the Community follows.
A balanced approach to the question of devastation would require some perpective to be added such as a mention of the scale of devastation in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina, the impact of steel plant shut downs in the past, and the devastation in an Ohio town when DHL pulled out. The problems of Postville are far from unique. One might even say this is just a part of life going on with some new communities thriving and some older ones having a hard time. Many little towns have dried up almost completely as younger individuals seek employment elsewere in the big city. Postville and the Aribusiness employer brought this upon themselves. If you violate the law, you better be prepared for the consequences. This must be the standard for judging the Postville situation. It is not an excuse for passing CIR with amnesty for all and an open invitation to a whole new wave of illegals. The next time we will be faced with 20-50of them and if that impacts you and your family you will only yourself to blame.
"When you live by the sword, you die by the sword"
Kosher meat will not disappear. It will just be in short supply until another company enters the market or expands. It's a supply and demand situation.
A lot of lessons were learned after Postville. It does not pay to knowingly break the law by hiring illegal immigrants or exploiting them. I predict the Democrats will crack down hard on employers who do so.
Ulty,
it is interesting you mention Katrina. After the devastations from Katrina and the earlier hurricane which destroyed many parts of the SE, President Bush provided waivers so contractors could bring in scores of undocumented Latino workers to rebuild the devastated areas.
I suppose you would have preferred to live in ruins and let New Orleans continue to go unfinished.
If people had your mentality in the last 100 years, then we would never have a cross continental railroad or highway system.
You could care less about Postville or the damage done there. You could care less about the devastation of future towns where the multi billion dollar revenue gains paid by the 12M go uncounted by your side.
I wonder if you truly do care about America or is your true goal to ethnic cleanse America?
"I suppose you would have preferred to live in ruins and let New Orleans continue to go unfinished."
Is NO finished?? Does NO still have the highest crime rate in the USA, Murder rate in the USA, etc. Which group is now the larger populace in NO?? So, is NO any better now then it was before, or is it worse??
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