2 posts tagged “postville”

Raid

I went to Postville today to help prepare and serve meals to the people seeking sanctuary.  There is so much going on that isn't in the news and I can't help but wonder why.  The situation is heartbreaking.  The church is full of women and children who are, justifiably, afraid to go to their homes.  Although the Feds have said they would not go door to door, helicopters have been seen over the town and the church is being watched.  

For the most part, the men are being held at a fairgrounds in Waterloo while the women and children remain behind in Postville.  Some children went as long as 72 hours before a family could be located to take them in.  The women who are here illegally will be deported with their husbands, but most of the children are US citizens.  The parents can't take their children across the border without jumping through a million bureaucratic hoops.  Talk about a Catch 22.

The mood at the church was very somber...sad.  For the most part, the people in town have no animosity towards the workers and see them as friends and neighbors.  The reports of gang and drug problems were laughed at by the people I talked to as they told me there had been no such problems.  

I wish I could go into all the details about what I heard and saw today.  There really is a very human aspect that is being overlooked, one that needs to be factored into the debate on what to do about undocumented workers.  The town of Postville is being hit hard financially. The schools stand to lose half of their pupils, which will most likely mean closing next year.  The retail district is like a ghost town, with so many shops forced to lock their doors.  The economic impact will be devastating.  These people were not taking jobs from American workers.  No one else wants to work in the plant, regardless of the pay.  It's hazardous, disgusting work.  What exactly has been accomplished by this raid other than for the almighty government to say "Look, we did something".

I think we over simplify this issue.  Tell me how, logistically, we're going to round up 12 million people and ship them back to God knows where.  What will be the impact on our economy? I don't know what the answer is, but I know that what happened is wrong. 

Postville, Iowa, located about 80 miles northwest of my town, is an interesting place.  It's a town of about 2500 people of a huge variety of ethnic backgrounds.  Many of these people came here to work for Agriprocessors, the largest Kosher meat packing plant in the country.  They supply kosher meat to stores and restaurants all over the world.

It's never been a secret that Agriprocessors hires undocumented workers and has helped them get fake documentation such as social security numbers.  Whatever your opinion on illegal immigration, the fact of the matter is that this company and the town of Postville have become dependent on  the workers to keep their businesses profitable.  Agriprocessors and other companies who blatantly hire illegal workers simply get a slap on the wrist, a fine, and are free to go back to business as usual.

Just this week the INS raided Agriprocessors and arrested almost 400 people and shipped them off to a fairgrounds 75 miles away to face various criminal charges stemming from their immigration status.  This has had a ripple effect through the town, affecting business and families.  At last report, many businesses have closed and may not re-open.  One man who owns several rental properties say that they have all been abandoned and he has no hope of finding new tenants.  The saddest story I read was that the high school valedictorian, who was due to graduate in a few weeks, is the child of illegal immigrants and has been forced to go into hiding.  He will most likely have to forfeit several scholarship offers and go back to living in poverty in Guatamala.

Here's the problem as I see it.  While it's illegal to come into this country without going through the legal process, the people who are here are not criminals.  They are desperately trying to support their families and I have no doubt that I would act as they have if it meant the difference between living in  poverty or giving my family a better life.  These are human beings with worth, with spouses, with children.  I see this issue as a human rights issue that doesn't have easy solutions.  Many times these workers are underpaid and work in very dangerous jobs.  I don't believe that they're taking jobs away from US citizens.  Representatives from several employment agencies were interviewed and they said that they can't find people to work in processing plants, in spite of the fact that the pay is $11 an hour.  It's one of the most hazardous jobs and the risks are too high. The illegal workers aren't covered by workers compensation and are simply tossed to the curb of they can't work.

We have to look at the humanity involved and try to find a  compassionate answer.   "Ship them back"  isn't a feasible solution. Tearing families apart is inhumane.  I don't know what the answer is, but I know in my heart that what we are doing now isn't right.

I felt I had to do something to help. Sitting here, 80 miles away and feeling bad isn't helping.  Maybe prayer will help, but I need to do more. St. Bridget's, the church that is offering sanctuary to many of the people affected, is overwhelmed with providing for their needs - food, shelter, counseling.  I called the church this morning and offered to help.  I'll be going up there on Saturday to do what I can to aide the other volunteers and do my part to ease the burden of some of God's children.  It's the least I can do.