The Worthington Globe reports that arrest figures have released for the ICE sweep of the local Swift hog packing plant. ICE made 230 arrests in the Worthington plant:
There were 1,282 men and women arrested in Tuesday’s Swift and Company worksite enforcement investigation — 230 of them from the Worthington plant, according to numbers released today by the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a press conference in Washington, D.C.
Of the 1,282 workers arrested in six plants across the nation, 65 were charged with criminal violations related to identity theft or other violations, such as re-entry after deportation. None of those charged criminally were from the Worthington facility.
The Swift workers were brought to various locations for holding. Nobles County Sheriff Kent Wilkening said 35 people were brought to the Nobles County Jail, which has a contract with ICE for such occasions. [there's more]
Seems that the action was originally scheduled for December 4, but Swift sought judicial relief:
Countries of origin of those arrested include Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Laos, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Immigration officials in November told Swift unauthorized workers would be removed Dec. 4, but Swift asked a federal judge to prevent the raid, saying it would cause "substantial and irreparable injury" to its business. The company estimated a raid would remove up to 40 percent of its 13,000 workers.
After a closed hearing, a judge rejected Swift's request Dec. 7, clearing the way for Tuesday's actions at the plants in Greeley; Grand Island; Cactus, Texas; Hyrum, Utah; Marshalltown, Iowa; and Worthington.
It pains me to think of all those children left alone while all their parents were locked up, some who may have lacked documents, but clearly some who were quite legal but simply detained for questionning because they looked "Mexican" or something.
I wonder: if something happens to one of those children while the ICE-man has their parents in custody, who will be accountable?
Posted by: Charley | December 14, 2006 at 04:48 PM