Thread: Raid sparks immigration debate

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Raid sparks immigration debate
Tri-state-area residents weigh in on laws and illegal immigrants
By MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON TH staff writer

Photo: TH: Mary Nevans-Pederson
A young boy peers from inside the sanctuary of St. Bridget Catholic Church in Postville, Iowa, on Wednesday. Hundreds of Latino families have sought shelter in the church since the countryÃ*s largest immigration raid at a meat-packing plant in Postville on Monday.
POSTVILLE, Iowa -- Nervousness continued among the area's immigrant population Thursday in the wake of federal raids at a meatpacking plant in nearby Postville -- the largest roundup in U.S. history.

While support continues to pour into Postville for the hundreds of Latinos who are basically living at the community's Catholic church since the raid, others feel they got what they deserved for breaking immigration laws.

The raid set off renewed discussion about U.S. immigration laws, with many demands for changes.

"I don't blame the Mexicans or the Guatemalans (workers who were arrested at Agriprocessors Inc.). We should make them legal at the border so they can start paying taxes like us," said Don Meyers, 80, of Postville, who watched the raid unfold from his car wash business across the street.

As of Thursday night, 306 workers from Agriprocessors had been arrested on criminal charges out of the 389 detained Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cedar Rapids. Starting Thursday, all detainees not arrested on criminal charges would be held News You Can Use
Dubuque Archbishop Jerome Hanus will celebrate Mass in English and Spanish at St. Bridget Church in Postville at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17.
in immigration custody at various locations, where removal proceedings will be conducted.

Richard Staddon, of Bellevue, called the situation "a shame," but said people are disregarding the fact that the targeted immigrants are in the U.S. illegally.

"Not only should these people be rounded up and deported, but the company who is responsible for these people being here, being paid off the books or minimum wage, they should be penalized severely," he said.

One Dubuque Latino business owner predicted that the raid would severely damage Postville's economy and called for laws to be changed to allow immigrants who want to work in the U.S. temporarily to do so.

"We should give them a chance. Get the people who are selling drugs or doing other crimes, but not the ones just working to support their families," said Eli Rubio, who owns El Paisano grocery store on Central Avenue.

Rubio said that on the day of the raid hardly anyone came into his store, and Latinos are still leery about going out in public. If immigration agents targeted the Dubuque area, the bulk of his customers would be long gone, he said.

It was little surprise to Terri Reynolds that the fear and uncertainty would carry over throughout the week.

"Most everyone is waiting for the next shoe to drop," said Reynolds, immigration outreach coordinator for the Dubuque Archdiocese Catholic Charities.

And the fear, Reynolds said, is moving through immigrant groups of varying nationalities that she works with -- from Mexican to Eastern European.

Reynolds has received her own litany of messages in support of the raids, but said she deleted many that she said were racists or expressed "ignorance about the actual issues."

"I don't believe there are too many people who would work for $7 an hour. I don't think there are too many, other than immigrants, who will work without health benefits and deal with some of the hate, prejudice and discrimination that I have not only heard of, but been witness to," she said.

Some callers told Reynolds that they themselves were immigrants and said others should go through the same steps they did to gain citizenship.

Reynolds, whose husband is Mexican, said he just got his residency in January following a process that took a little over three years.

She encouraged residents to remember the part immigrants play in the community fabric.

"I think if we turn our backs on the immigrant population, maybe soon we won't have much left of Iowa," Reynolds said.

-- Eileen Mozinski and Sydney Smith contributed
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=201933

We can't live on $7 a hour, we don't live 15 to a house and share rent, and we should not have to, pay a decent wage and you will get American works...it is all greed, more in your pocket and to hell with the workers...

Deport the cheap labor, your are harming Americans in their own country....keep up the good work ICE.

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

We can't live on $7 a hour, we don't live 15 to a house and share went, and we should not have to, pay a decent wage and you will get American works...it is all greed, more in your pocket and to hell with the workers...

Deport the cheap labor, your are harming Americans in their own country....keep up the good work ICE.

Can you imagine what a even better job they would do if our government backed their efforts? IT would be awesome!!!

Originally Posted by April

Originally Posted by SOSADFORUS

We can't live on $7 a hour, we don't live 15 to a house and share went, and we should not have to, pay a decent wage and you will get American works...it is all greed, more in your pocket and to hell with the workers...

Deport the cheap labor, your are harming Americans in their own country....keep up the good work ICE.

Can you imagine what a even better job they would do if our government backed their efforts? IT would be awesome!!!

Ya they could take care of this problem in one big hurry with some support!!