Massive Raid of Illegals at Iowa Packing Plant

(Postville, Iowa) Early this morning, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents led a swarm of more than 100 state and federal officers in establishing a perimeter then launching a massive raid on the Agriprocessors, Inc. meat packing plant in this small community in the far northeastern corner of the state.

Agents have been investigating the Agriprocessors facility for two years according to the federal search warrant.

The operation, which targeted people who illegally used other persons Social Security numbers and were in the U.S. illegally, was the largest of its kind in Iowa, said Claude Arnold, a special agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

According to an affidavit, “Based on information thus far developed in the investigation, it appears, based on 2007 fourth quarter payroll reports, that approximately 76 percent of the 968 employees of Agriprocessors were using false or fraudulent social security numbers in connection with their employment.”

Besides SSN fraud, there have also been allegations of serious worker abuse and that a methamphetamine lab was operating in the plant.

According to Iowa Workforce Development, about 1,000 people work at the plant and immigration officials expected to arrest 600 to 700 of them for criminal offenses. Those arrested are in custody for law enforcement processing at the National Cattle Congress Fairgrounds in Waterloo. Black-uniformed Department of Homeland Security officials are keeping people out of the fairgrounds.

An ICE spokeswoman, Barbara Gonzalez, said it's likely that processing at the Cattle Congress will not continue past Thursday.

Tip: gene

Also: The Jawa Report