300 arrested in ICE raid at Iowa plant

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More than 300 people were arrested on suspicion of being illegal immigrants yesterday as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents executed criminal search warrants at a kosher food-processing plant in Iowa.

U.S. Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth said the warrants were served at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville, Iowa. Agents were searching for evidence of identity theft and fraudulent use of Social Security numbers at the plant.

"This is not the first time this office has been a part of a criminal work-site enforcement operation," he said. "However, this is the largest operation of its type ever in Iowa. Agents and officers from federal, state and local agencies are involved today. The coordination and logistical planning efforts have been going on for months."

Agriprocessors Inc., the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant, was notified before the raids and, according to ICE, is cooperating with authorities. The company shut down operations before the raid to avoid safety problems.

Those encountered during the operation who were identified as being in the U.S. illegally eventually will be placed in administrative removal proceedings, ICE spokeswoman Kadia H. Koroma said, adding that ICE agents arrested more than 300 people for administrative immigration violations.

Miss Koroma also said those detained were interviewed by ICE agents and Public Health Service officers to determine whether they have health, caregiver or other humanitarian concerns. As a result of those interviews, she said 40 people were released on humanitarian grounds under supervision, pending future immigration proceedings.

"ICE is committed to enforcing the nation's immigration laws in the workplace to maintain the integrity of the immigration system," said Claude Arnold, the ICE special agent in charge of the agency's Office of Investigations in Bloomington, Minn., which oversaw the investigation. "We carry out that obligation in a fair and responsible manner, ensuring humanitarian needs are taken into consideration."

ICE established a toll-free number that family members can call to get information about the custody status and detention location of those detained yesterday. That number is 866/341-3858.

Miss Koroma said local schools, government officials and the Iowa Department of Human Services were alerted about the operation. She said the men apprehended initially will be held in housing established for their detention at Estel Hall in Waterloo, Iowa; women initially will be held at local county jails.

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Julie L. Myers, who heads ICE, said effective work-site enforcement plays an important role in the fight against illegal immigration and in protecting the U.S., adding that the agency has developed a "comprehensive work-site enforcement strategy that promotes national security, protects critical infrastructure and ensures fair labor standards."