Public Statement on Postville Raid

Sign-on to Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition's Public Statement:

The raid conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on May 12, 2008 in Postville, IA was the largest raid of its kind in the history of the United States. Nearly 400 people were arrested. Of those arrested, 297 were sentenced on felony changes and are currently serving five months in prison before they are deported.

The Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition is asking all of our members, partners, and allies to sign on to the attached statement calling on ICE to stop the raids and calling on elected officials to create just and humane immigration policies.

The statement will be delivered to Postville, IA on July 27th and it will also be mailed to elected officials.

To sign-on to the statement, please send your name or the name of your organization to Jenny Dale at jdale@chicagosanctuary.org before Thursday July 24th.

Take Action! Stand in solidarity with the community of Postville:

1. Rally and March in Postville, IA on July 27, 2008.
Join us for a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with our immigration brothers and sisters and calling for comprehensive immigration reform, no more raids, workers rights, and family unity. The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA) is organizing a bus from Chicago that will leave at 7am and return by 10pm. Lunch and dinner will be provided. There is a $15 suggested donation for the cost of food and transportation. Please contact Jenny Dale at jdale@chicagosantuary.org to reserve a spot with JCUA or go to http://www.jcua.org/july27

2. Contact your Representative in Congress – Tell them you want the raids and deportation to stop and ask them to support just and humane immigration reform that will repair this broken immigration system.
To find out who your Congressperson is go to: http://www.congress.org

3. Contact your Illinois State Representative – Let him/her know that you want the raids to stop in Illinois and to stop the collaboration of local law-enforcement with ICE.
To find out who your Illinois State Representative is go to: http://capwiz.com/icirr/directory/statedir.tt?state=IL&lvl=state

4. Contact Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – Let her know that you do not support ICE’s tactics of fear, isolation and intimidation that are terrorizing our immigrant communities. Send a letter to Julie L. Myers, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 425 I Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20536. You can fax a letter to 202-307-9911. You can also call the Department of Homeland Security Operator Line Operator Line at 202-282-8000 and ask to leave a message for Julie L. Myers.

5. Send a donation to Postville:
Send a letter of support and a donation to St. Bridget Catholic Church, P.O. Box 369, Postville, IA 52162. St. Bridget’s Church is the church that offered sanctuary to the immigrant community of Postville in the aftermath of the raid. Funds for legal assistance and help for families in meeting housing and other basic needs will continue to be very helpful.

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Further Reading on Postville:

“The Shame of Postville, IA” New York Times Editorial (July 13, 2008) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/opinion/13sun2.html?scp=3&sq=interpreter&st=nyt

“Iowa Church Is a Beacon after immigration Raid” The Gadsden Times (July 12, 2008)
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20080712/ZNYT02/807120334/1019/NEWS01

“An Interpreter Speaking up for Migrants” New York Times (July 11th, 2008) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/us/11immig.html?scp=3&sq=Postville+&st=nyt

“Interpreting after the Largest ICE Raid in US History: A Personal Account” By Erik Camayd-Freixas, Ph.D. (June 13, 2008) http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2008/07/14/opinion/14ed-camayd.pdf

“270 Illegal Immigrants Sent to Prison in Federal Push” New York Times (May 24, 2008)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/24/us/24immig.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=&st=cse&oref=slogin

“Heartbreak in Postville” American Friends Service Committee
http://www.afsc.org/central/ia/HeartbreakinPostville.html

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POSTVILLE RAID FACT SHEET:

• On May 12, 2008, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the largest single-site workplace raid in U.S. history, resulting in detainment of 390 AgriProcessors employees (out of a total 968). Fifty-six, including 18 juveniles, were released but must wear GPS ankle bracelets so their whereabouts can be monitored.
• The remaining 300 have been convicted on felony charges including aggravated identity theft, improper use of Social Security numbers and use of false IDs. This is the first time criminal charges were used as a legal and deportation tactic in an immigration raid.
• Families of those detained initially took refuge at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church. With their primary wage-earners in custody, many were left without funds for food, housing or legal fees.
• Immigrants detained in the raid were from Guatemala, Mexico, Israel and Ukraine.
• The number of individuals detained represents one-fifth of Postville’s population.
• No charges have been filed against AgriProcessors, Inc.’

AGRIPROCESSORS FACT SHEET:

• AgriProcessors, Inc.was started 1987 when Aaron Rubashkin bought the former HyGrade meat-processing plant in Postville, Iowa. Until recently AgriProcessors was a family-run business, with Rubashkin’s sons and son-in-law as senior officers at the plant. After the raid, Rubashkin removed his son from the CEO position.
• AgriProcessors is the nation’s largest kosher slaughterhouse, producing 60% of the kosher beef and 40% of the kosher chicken. Its products are sold in supermarkets such as Jewel, Albertson’s, Kroger, Shop Rite, Wal-Mart, Trader Joe’s, Ralph’s, Pathmark and H.E. Butt.
• AgriProcessors products carry a variety of labels Aaron’s Best, Aaron’s Choice, Rubashkin’s, European Glatt, Supreme Kosher, David’s, Nevel and Shor Habor.
• AgriProcessors recently has been cited for numerous violations of workplace-safety rules by Iowa’s Division of Labor Services. These include improper storage and handling of hazardous chemicals and inadequate training in the use of respirators and handling of blood-borne pathogens. Each violation resulted in a proposed fine that was later reduced.
• A Department of Transportation investigation found that an AgriProcessors supervisor forced employees to buy cars from him and registered those vehicles under false identities.
• In March 2008, the Iowa Occupational Health and Safety Agency cited AgriProcessors for 39 health and safety violations. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals stated that the company mistreats animals. Additional charges allege that sexual harassment took place in the factory.
• In response, AgriProcessors hired former U.S. Attorney Jim Martin as a compliance officer.

Fact Sheet created by Jewish COuncil on Urban Affairs http://www.jcua.org http://www.jcua.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5320

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A Public Statement on Immigration Raid in Postville, IA.

The Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition (CNSC), a coalition of interfaith leaders and people of conscience, along with partners and co-signers of this statement are deeply concerned with the recent Postville, Iowa Immigration raid.

The raid conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on May 12, 2008 at Agriprocessors, Inc. was the largest raid of its kind in the history of the United States. Nearly 400 people were arrested. Of those arrested, 297 were almost immediately convicted on felony charges for using false identification and are currently serving five months in prison before they are to be deported. This is the first time criminal charges have been used as a legal and deportation tactic in an immigration raid.

Furthering the anguish, this raid has had devastating affects on the families of those detained and the small community of 2300 people in Postville, Iowa.

As people of faith and good conscience, we stand with our migrant sisters and brothers, regardless of national origin. We recognize that every person has basic human rights including a right to earn a livelihood, a right to family unity, a right to physical and emotional safety and a right to due process. The Postville, IA raid was an egregious violation of these rights.

Grounded in our religious traditions we are called to reach out to the newcomers in our midst, to treat them “as the citizen among you” and to love them as we do ourselves (Leviticus 19:33-34). Our religious prophets have and continue to call on us to have compassion for the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our population.

We are called to treat all people justly; “Let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly” (Quran verse 5:8).

We must stand in solidarity with the community of Postville. First and foremost, we will pray for all of the detained workers, their children and their families. Our prayer, however, also leads us to action. Immigration raids like the one that happened in Postville have instilled deep fear and chaos in communities around the country and should not be tolerated any longer.

As people of faith we urge the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and all other law-enforcement agencies to cease the raids. We call on ICE to stop using tactics of fear, isolation and intimidation to terrorize our migrant communities.

We implore elected officials from the local, the state, the national and even the global level to create a just and humane immigration policy that will protect the civil rights and liberties of all. It is time to look deeper into the economic push and pull factors that are at the root of migration in order to find sustainable and lasting solutions. Only then will we be able to fully protect the dignity of all those effected by the policies and practices of ICE and the US government.

For more information please contact: Jenny Dale, Chicago New Sanctuary Coalition, 773-551-1057 or jdale@chicagosanctuary.org