Thread: {Sob} Miles away, Postville raid's impact is still acute

WCFCourier.com Print StorySunday, May 25, 2008 2:46 PM CDTMiles away, Postville raid's impact is still acute

WATERLOO, Iowa - Gilberto Garcia's grocery store is 90 minutes south of Postville, but the effect of a recent immigration raid in that town has been acute.

Within days of the raid at Agriprocessors in Postville, Garcia said business at his store, El Regreso in downtown Waterloo, slowed to a trickle. After watching fresh produce rot and tortillas rot on the shelves, Garcia said he's decided it is time to go.

Garcia said he will soon shudder his store and accept a buyout plan from the city, which wants his land for redevelopment.

Though they are about 80 miles apart, Hispanic businesses in Waterloo have reported potentially crippling drops in business since the Postville immigration raid. The largest of its type in U.S. history, the raid at Agriprocessors resulted in the detainment of nearly 400 people on immigration related charges.

Despite the distance from the raid, Hispanic business owners report workers suddenly absent and slower sales. They attribute it to fall out from Postville.

Garcia has seen this before, he said, and believes now is the time to bow out.

"I've seen this happen twice. It always takes at least a year for people to regain trust," he said. "That's why I'd rather close _ it's going to take time to recover."

At La Chiquita, which serves many professional workers in downtown Waterloo during lunch, the effect has been somewhat muted.

Beverly Ayala, who owns the business with her husband, said sales of certain items are down. She also said she had to train two new workers.

She said two employees, both from El Salvador, quit last week even though they had work visas.

Ayala said the workers' parents believe immigration agents arrest people first and ask questions later, so they sent their children to stay with relatives.

"It affects everybody, no matter what anybody says," Ayala said.

At La Placita, another Waterloo-area business, sales plunged following the raid.

The store sells fewer tortillas and can't even sell its beer. The man who usually makes fresh cakes in the store hasn't come to work for more than a week.

He insists on baking them in his home, at least until federal agents leave Waterloo, said Juan Carrillo. His brother, Manuel Carrillo, owns the store.

"My construction workers don't want to come in and buy beer," he said. "You wouldn't believe it. Everyone got traumatized or something."

At Rodeo Moda, a clothing shop next door to La Placita, owner Laura de Gomez said sales have slumped so much and so many people have left town that she is considering a second job. Because she sells nonessential items such as jewelry and cowboy boots, the decline has been particularly steep. "I don't know if I'll survive," she said. "Right now I'm doing more social work than business."

Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com

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http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008 ... srq2g1.txt

Gilberto Garcia's grocery store is 90 minutes south of Postville, but the effect of a recent immigration raid in that town has been acute.

Within days of the raid at Agriprocessors in Postville, Garcia said business at his store, El Regreso in downtown Waterloo, slowed to a trickle. After watching fresh produce rot and tortillas rot on the shelves, Garcia said he's decided it is time to go.

Garcia said he will soon shudder his store and accept a buyout plan from the city, which wants his land for redevelopment.

Though they are about 80 miles apart, Hispanic businesses in Waterloo have reported potentially crippling drops in business since the Postville immigration raid. The largest of its type in U.S. history, the raid at Agriprocessors resulted in the detainment of nearly 400 people on immigration related charges.

Despite the distance from the raid, Hispanic business owners report workers suddenly absent and slower sales. They attribute it to fall out from Postville.

Garcia said he will soon shudder his store

SHUDDER his store,,,,,,,,,,,hahahahahaha toooooooo funny!

shudder
n 1: an almost pleasurable sensation of fright; "a frisson of
surprise shot through him" [syn: frisson, shiver, chill,
quiver, thrill, tingle]
2: an involuntary vibration (as if from illness or fear) [syn:
tremor]
v 1: shake, as from cold or fear [syn: shiver, dither]
2: tremble convulsively [syn: shiver, throb, thrill]
http://dictionary.die.net/shudder

Proof ICE raids have a domino effect.

Illegal aliens from Postville shopped in Waterloo 80 miles away?
Add driving without a driver's license to the list of crimes.
Illegal aliens living in Waterloo left town?

Businesses catering to illegal aliens will naturally close due to their customer base and lack of appeal to other shoppers.

She said two employees, both from El Salvador, quit last week even though they had work visas.

Ayala said the workers' parents believe immigration agents arrest people first and ask questions later, so they sent their children to stay with relatives.

How old are these children? Child labor laws apply?

Garcia said he will soon shudder his store and accept a buyout plan from the city, which wants his land for redevelopment.


I'll ignore the fact that whomever wrote this article needs a dictionary

Now, back to my original point which is, just who in the hell does this guy think he's fooling? The land his business is sitting on is more valuable than the business itself and he was planning on selling it out to redevelopment long before the raid.

This little bit of BS just made for good press, that's all.

Though they are about 80 miles apart, Hispanic businesses in Waterloo have reported potentially crippling drops in business since the Postville immigration raid. The largest of its type in U.S. history, the raid at Agriprocessors resulted in the detainment of nearly 400 people on immigration related charges.


Excuse me, but from everything we've been hearing the employees at Agriprocessors were being paid barely enough to get by on, if that.

If that's true.....and also taking into consideration the fact that Postville is very small.....just how much of an economic impact does this loss of their business represent?

Not enough to "cripple" businesses, let alone shut them down.


At Rodeo Moda, a clothing shop next door to La Placita, owner Laura de Gomez said sales have slumped so much and so many people have left town that she is considering a second job. Because she sells nonessential items such as jewelry and cowboy boots, the decline has been particularly steep. "I don't know if I'll survive," she said. "Right now I'm doing more social work than business."


Practicing social work without a degree or professional license? Never a good idea, but if you must.........




Sorry, but with the economy slumping and jobs growing scarce, in addition to increased enforcement, etc. people have been spending less and leaving areas well before this raid ever took place.

Why don't they just spare us all of this garbage manufactured to suit whatever situation they need it to suit at the time?

Heck I am running out of tissues again

If these people can afford to drive 90 miles to get groceries they don't need the job any way

The store sells fewer tortillas and can't even sell its beer. The man who usually makes fresh cakes in the store hasn't come to work for more than a week.

He insists on baking them in his home, at least until federal agents leave Waterloo, said Juan Carrillo. His brother, Manuel Carrillo, owns the store.

Major health code violation.

Since it is unlikely that the Agriprocessors workers in Postville drove 80 miles to buy tomatoes and tortillas then one can only assume that many illegal aliens in Waterloo have left the area. Other wise there would be no reason for there so called slow down right?

Drive 80 miles each way to buy food? Maybe this store lets "friends" buy restricted items with food stamps and WIC. With the price of gas why would you go 160 miles round trip, make $200 or $300 a week and spend $30 to $40 on gas ? I really think the writers of sob stories need to get a grip on the truth. Some common sense?