Raid Could Make Postville a Ghost Town
POSTVILLE, IA — The immigration raid in Iowa we told you about on Monday is being called one of the largest of its kind in U.S. history.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials arrested 390 people from the Postville Kosher Meatpacking Plant in northeast Iowa.
We’ve learned 20 people, 10 men and 10 women officially face criminal charges. That means they’ll face trials and possible jail time. The men were in court Tuesday and the women will appear today.
The rest of those arrested from Agriprocessors Incorporated are suspected of aggravated identify theft and using fraudulent social security numbers. They’re being held at local jails and nearby fairgrounds, and they could face deportation.
Postville, Iowa had fewer than 2,300 residents before Monday’s immigration raid.
Now, with so many arrested and so many others leaving, many are worried about the city’s future.
Carla Campos manages her mother’s Guatemalan diner. Most days by lunch, the place is packed. But today, there isn’t a single customer. It gave Campos no choice but to close up shop.
“It’s uncertain, we don’t know what we’re going to do, close, stay open or what,” says Campos.
In the window of nearly every Hispanic business in Postville, there’s the same bilingual sign up today: Closed.
Postville Mayor Robert Penrod says many residents fled town or hid in fear.
“They were afraid to go home, because they were afraid they would be arrested. The children at school were afraid to go outside,” says Mayor Penrod.
With more than a third of Agriprocessors’ workers detained, city officials wonder how their largest employer can bounce back.
“If Agriprocessors pulls out I guarantee you this will be a ghost town,” says Penrod.
Without the plant, he estimates, two-thirds of the homes here will sit empty. 95% of downtown businesses, like the diner, will dry up.
He hopes it doesn’t come to that. Instead of deporting the people arrested, he’d like to find a way to keep them in Postville. Right now, he’s working with state and federal lawmakers to come up with a plan.
Klal Yisroel
I think that people should offer their assistance and go to work in Iowa!
toshav
any jews detained?
Anonymous
I heard something beautiful today that should be shared…Random good hearted individuals living acroos the country are calling Iowa and volunteering to come out and lend a hand, in some cases offering to work without pay. May we all merit from such selfless acts of kindness.
Being held accountable
People think it’s ok to cheat the government. Look what a TREMENDOUS chillul hashem this has caused. I am a lubavitcher who works for the government. I have been asked some very uncomfortable questions. We have to think about how our actions will look to the rest of the world. Maybe you could save a whack of money by hiring illegal workers, but at what cost? Money is not everything!!!
Saul
Chanina can be a statesman and get his close friend Bloomberg involved to free the Rubashkins of this tsouris!!
inside info....
there were 2 jews detained, one is out and the other is still in police custody.
agri now has the rabbi’s doing all the “dirty” work. they are doing the work of those workers that were taken away and the rubashkins have now brought in a few workers from their nebraska plant.
Being held accountable not
what chilul hashem are u talking about you self hating lubavitcher? the company wan not in violation of anything the employees have fake id with fake socials/ did u hear of any charges being brought against agriprocessors/
KAPO?
moshiach is coming
wow MOSHIACH MUST BE COMING
people do shidduchim for momey and kavod
now we can see only bushas and bushas
people pay attention when doing shidduchim and marrying off your childrem look at the individual not the money he/she comes from
in postville now
2 jews were detained,