ICE raids Swift plants, arrests 25

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.themilitant.com/2007/7129/712902.html

ICE raids Swift plants, arrests 25
(front page)

BY HELEN MEYERS
AND FRANK FORRESTAL
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa—Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested more than 25 people July 10 who worked at Swift meatpacking plants in Marshalltown, Iowa; Worthington, Minnesota; Cactus, Texas; Hyrum, Utah; Grand Island, Nebraska; and Greeley, Colorado—the same plants which ICE agents raided last December. Many were picked up on the job.

Braulio Pereyra, vice-president of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1149, was one of six workers arrested here in Marshalltown. The union local represents workers at the Swift plant and at the Tyson plant in nearby Perry, Iowa. Pereyra is charged with “harboring illegal aliens,” which carries a five-year maximum prison sentence.

“I’m worried about the reasons for Braulio Pereyra’s arrest,” said José, a kill floor worker at the Marshalltown plant who asked his last name not be used for fear of retaliation. “Many people could be picked up for what he is charged with.”

ICE spokesman Tim Counts called the latest raids a “continuation of the same investigation” that resulted in the arrests of nearly 1,300 Swift workers in six states last December. “Then, we were serving federal search warrants that permitted us to go into these plants and question every employee,” he said. “In this case, we were looking for specific individuals—a much more focused and highly targeted operation.”

The Federal Trade Commission, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, four U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and two District Attorney’s Offices assisted in preparing the arrests.

ICE agents also arrested Christopher Lamb, assistant director of Human Resources at the Marshalltown plant. He was charged with “harboring illegal aliens” and “misprision of a felony,” or the failure to report a felony crime.

FULL story at link.