Agreement Reached In Immigration Raid Lawsuit


May 17, 2008--Lawyers for immigrant workers arrested in a raid at a meat packing plant in Postville say they've reached an agreement with federal authorities that will keep the workers in Iowa.

The Des Moines Register is reporting that the agreement was reached late Friday.

It will allow 83 workers detained during the raid at the Agricprocessors Inc. plant to stay in the state at least until their administrative bond hearings are held. The lawyers say that could be six months or more.

Those workers were detained but not charged. They include 62 who were released on humanitarian grounds.

The attorneys say they want to make sure the workers aren't shipped to other states and given new attorneys. They say that could hamper the workers' rights to a vigorous legal defense.

Arrested in the raid were 305 workers who were charged with identity theft, misuse of a Social Security number or other fraud-related charges.

Those workers will remain in Iowa to face the criminal charges.

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