CDIR Update No. 51

May 14, 2008

CDIR-USA Condemns ICE Raids in Los Angeles and Iowa

Los Angeles- The Coalition to Defend Immigrant Rights (CDIR)-USA and the Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC)based in Los Angeles today, vehemently condemns the ICE raid that arrested almost 400 immigrants at the Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, Iowa, the largest kosher slaughterhouse in the world

According to the news sources, heavily armed squads of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, backed by state and local police, stormed the slaughter house , while two government helicopters hovered overhead. In all, 16 local, state and federal agencies were involved in the raids, which had been prepared for months.

Rapid Deployment Teams Against ICE raids, Formed

In Los Angeles, the KFPK radio announced an ongoing raid at south central LA with ICE agents loaded on 2 trucks. Meawhile, Juan Jose Gutierrez of the April 7 Coalition and Latino Movement-_USA announced the formation of rapid deployment legal teams composed of lawyers to help immigrants on ICE raids.

Most of those 400 arrested were immigrants from either Mexico or Guatemala, while some others were immigrants from Israel and Ukraine. The bulk of them ( 350 out of 400) were charged with Social Security fraud for using false numbers -a supposedly criminal offense that results in their forfeiting the contributions deducted from their paychecks or with the civil offense of lacking proper immigration status.

After being interrogated and handcuffed at the plant, the workers were taken away in Homeland Security buses with covered windows. Over 300 male employees were taken to a makeshift detention camp at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in nearby Waterloo, Iowa, where armed guards were posted at the gates. Meanwhile, 76 women were crowded into the Hardin County Jail.

Violeta Aleman, a worker at the plant and a US citizen since 2003, told the Cedar Rapids Gazette that the armed agents herded the workers into the cafeteria and ordered them to form two lines, one for US citizens and one for legal residents, while the undocumented immigrants were told to remain seated.

For more information on immigration contact (213)241-0906 or email@cdir_usa@yahoo.com