300 suspected illegal immigrants caught in SC raid
AP
Agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement division of the Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant at the House of Raeford’s Columbia Farms chicken processing plant in Greenville, S.C., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008. Federal agents detained more than 300 suspected illegal immigrants in the raid at the plant that has been under investigation for months.
Published: October 8, 2008
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) _ Federal agents swept through a chicken processing plant Tuesday, detaining more than 300 suspected illegal immigrants, sending panicked workers running and screaming through the hallways. Worried relatives collected outside, fearful their loved ones would be deported.
Police and agents during a shift change ordered all workers at the House of Raeford’s Columbia Farms to show identification, according to officials and witnesses. The business had been under scrutiny for months and the raid comes on the heels of even larger roundups at plants across the country.
Maria Juan, 22, was one of about 50 relatives and friends who huddled at the edge of the plant after the raid, some weeping and others talking frantically on cell phones. She was seeking information about her 68-year-old grandmother, a legal immigrant from Guatemala who went to work without identification papers but was later released.
“Families are going to be broken apart,“ Juan said. “There will be kids and babies left behind. Why are they doing this? Why? They didn’t do anything. They only wanted to work.“
Workers began running down hallways crying and screaming, said Herbert Rooker, 54, a third-shift janitor. He wore a blue band on his wrist, indicating agents had determined he was in the country legally.
Rooker had to duck into a bathroom to avoid what he called a stampede of people.
“I didn’t know what they were running from. I had no reason to run,“ said Rooker who remained at the plant five hours after the raid because police still had his truck blocked.
Immigration officials kept the workers inside, spending most of the morning trying to figure out how many are in the country illegally, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald said.
The number could be substantial. A recent review found that immigration paperwork for more than 775 of 825 workers contained false information, McDonald said. Immigration agents scoured the plant for paperwork and other information for the investigation.
Hector Zapata said he was hauled in when he dropped his daughter off for work. Agents ignored his cries that he didn’t work there, he said. Seven hours later, his daughter, in the U.S. legally, emerged, joining dozens of others milling around trying to figure out where their loved ones were being taken.
When he heard about the raid, Mateo Matias got his neighbor’s three children out of school and brought them to the plant. He wanted immigration officials to see the boys — ages 4, 5 and 6 — in hopes they might release their mother, who is from Guatemala, where her husband remains.
“The mother is fighting for a better life so the children can survive,“ Matias said.
House of Raeford processes chickens and turkeys in eight plants in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and Michigan. A sales manager at the Greenville plant referred questions to the company’s Rose Hill, N.C., headquarters, where a woman answering the phone said there was no immediate comment.
Federal prosecutors and immigration agents have been investigating the plant’s hiring practices for several months. Eleven supervisors and the plant’s human resources director have been charged, most accused of falsifying documents. Seven have pleaded guilty, three are awaiting trial and two have fled, McDonald said.
U.S. Attorney Walt Wilkins wouldn’t say whether other plants or executives were being investigated.
The Charlotte Observer first reported in February that plant workers were in the country illegally and company managers knew it.
One worker backed up that account Tuesday.
“Everyone knew most of the workers were illegal. It was no secret. We just came in and did our work and you kept to yourself,“ said Dorothy Anthony, who works with sister Alice on the deboning line.
The women, both American citizens, were released after showing ID.
Greenville immigration attorney Amy Shelley said the phone at her law firm was ringing nonstop Tuesday as word of the raid spread. She didn’t have any clients yet, but figures she will represent some of the arrested workers.
“The frustrating thing is most of their families don’t know anything right now either,“ she said.
Officials are arranging to care for children of workers detained in the raid, one of several nationwide this year.
In August, more than 600 suspected illegal immigrants were detained at a Mississippi transformer plant in the largest single-workplace immigration raid in U.S. history. And in May, federal immigration officials swept into Agriprocessors, the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant, in Iowa. Nearly 400 workers were detained and dozens of fraudulent permanent resident alien cards were seized from the plant’s human resources department, according to court records.
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As noted Americans were working at the plant besides the illegals. I hope you noted that as well Phdeedeedee. Now we also have legal immigrants and native citizens lining up for those jobs once again. Your screenname sounds like an annoying sound but as we have come to expect, it is fitting. LOL Chris Cummings
Also, Crummings obviously has noise ringing in his head - have you ever read a more jumbled, whirlwind, idiotic posting this his lastest driver. Why it’s longer than War and Peace, which at least had some merit.
Cummings never answered my question of what was an organic chicken. But in his writings, he says he is always “hearing” things. Insane people have similar problems.
Chris Cummings has been on the whoopie cushion again - passing out more gas.
Facts are in the numbers reported on crime that i have reported to you yet you consistently ignore fact so who is living in a mythical world? I might add as recently reported illegal immigration is down as well as recently reported by AP news. The police already have enough illegals in their jails to deal with, much less needing a sworn affidavit that is completely unnecessary and absolutely pointless. The only consistent racism on here and that has been proven time and again by his constant playing of it is by Mr phdee himself. This is a criminal matter it isn’t about race and never has. Although some people would like to equate it to the struggles of blacks, Japanese, and the Irish and Germans who came here to settle this country legally. What they fought for in the 60’s was Civil Rights. Illegals should have no rights they shouldn’t even be here. By being here they are taking away from native born citizens and legal immigrants. 50% of illegals are not paying taxes in Va. according to a Virginia Commonwealth Institute study and the rest are using so called pin #‘s and stolen soc.sec. #‘s and phony numbers. Last time i checked identity theft was a felony. No greater coward then yourself phdee. I will always stand against crime as i have said many times here. Crime is crime and yes illegal immigration is a crime, what part of crime do you not understand? Actually the economy in PWC despite the high foreclosure rate and high home sales rate is better than most of the local jurisdictions, even better than the national average. Of course that is almost always the case. Manassas is showing more positive signs every day with businesses coming in, sign going down, crime down because illegals aren’t getting away with the usual crimes anymore. Sorry to say this about foreclosures its mostly the fault of the purchaser especially if they get in over their head and in addition don’t read their contract, of which most standard contracts of this nature are voluminous. While i agree Bush has not been the greatest President, clearly he was a better choice then that sadsack John Kerry. Oh by the way did these so called Hispanic crime victims report their crimes. Ooops no. I guess they didn’t happen if i may use phdee’s line of logic. Illegals working jobs that supposedly Americans won’t do? Yet i hear these same Americans are lining up for these chicken jobs once again, just like in the midwest recently in i believe it was Iowa. I am glad you agree that illegals have moved away from PWC thats great news to hear especially from the most hateful person i have ever seen on these message boards. As documented you hate religion, you hate legal immigrants, and more than likely discriminate if you own a business. You probably hire from a specific race, discrimination is a crime. Rest assured their are those of us out here reporting your crimes and the crimes of your ilk. I hope the economy gets real bad and all illegals get forced out of their illegal jobs from their illegal hiring employers. Remember that business owner can have his business seized and his vehicles seized as well as criminal counts for each illegal hire. Raise the fines more i say.Lets hold these criminals and criminal illegal invaders accountable. You are making it bad for all the legal immigrants here. Its as simple as going home and coming back the legal way is that hard to understand? Cheaper than having a coyote run you across the border or to live in fear of knowing the authorities can come and legally deport you if they find you working in the US illegally. I am not afraid to grow my own vegetables or cut my own yard or paint my own house. No need to hire some moron who will do a shoddy job or be half drunk. We as a nation need to take care of citizens first, screw illegals. I just have to say the fact that they are leaving is still great news. LOL Chris Cummings
zcx: what is an organically raised chicken? I was born and grew up on a farm, and I do know a little about farming.
The “organic” movement is a fraud - just a way to sucker some people into paying more for the same stuff. A sucker is born every day.
Just after “organic” became fashionable, all the chain stores were filled overnight with all kinds of organic vegetables, meat, etc. Well, it takes quite a while to grow a crop or raise cattle for beef. Yet, overnight there was tons of it available.
Small farmers are or have disappeared. Big corporations contract with famers to raise a crop - at their instruction. There aren’t enough small farmers out there to fill all the big chains shelves.
The cost of farming, including land, is astronomical. Who could affor to enter the occupation? There is no labor, except immigrants, including illegals. I dare say one indepent small farmer could raise enough vegs to supply one-two groceries. And that is for the growing season only.
As for chickens, someone may have range raised chickens, but it isn’t a mass production effort. Just a few hundred, maybe.
The point is that someone is merely labeling something “organic” and ripping you off. I know of no regulation or laws on “organic:, like meat grading and inspections.
The whole thing is a massive fraud. Your organic chicken was probably raised and processed by an illegal. Americans are going back to farming -mget real.
The PWC resolution has basically killed off the local economy, especially houwing. Foreclosures are the highest in Northern Va., by a huge percentage. Manassas is a dying city.
everyone is cutting back economically. Manassas has had to set aside its socialistic housing program for city employees - sort of like coal housing and company stores,
The Bush sand Republicans have virtually destroyed and bankrupted the US. We only have to look at Wall Street, banks, foreclosures, bankruptcies, etc. Chris Cummings is ignorant and lives in a mythical world.
If crime is in fact down, it is because the hispanics have left and the US citizens no longer have them to rob. Newspapers however sure are reporting a lot of crime, however. And with the bad economy, it will get worse and worse.
Folks, just ignor Chris Cummings. He is a hard core Manassass racist. His writings are usually just a ball of noinsense, bigotry, and hate. I have consistently asked hi, based on allegations of some sort of fraud, crime, etc., to take his evidence to the police or other appropriate authorities and make a sworn affadavit. He refuses. He cannot because he NEVER has any supportive material ormevidence to support his wild claims, and he knows it is a felony to make a false affadavit. Thus he is a racist coward. He could also use some mental health counseling or treatment.
Incidentally a lot of positive things have happened in Manassas since passage of the Resolution, crime has gone down, school and hospital overcrowding have gone down, the racist sign came down and you really should have taken the time to read some of the racism that was directed at whites. Although not all whites are responsible for racism. My ancestors came over after the Emancipation Proclamation and were dirt poor. So spare me they work hard for little pay garbage and trying to make a better life for themselves. This in turn destroys others lives, legal immigrants and native born citizens. If they are committin no crimes they why are they sneaking across the border or stealing soc. sec. #‘s and making up phony identification. Felonies of course in addition to the employers committing crimes by hiring, transporting, aiding and abetting them. State and local governments can uphold Federal law they just can’t supercede it. I understand that law too well. Yes State and local jurisdictions can enforce immigration law. The Supreme Court would even rule on the majorities side in that respect if it came to that. LOL Chris Cummings
So by committing a felony <identity theft> falsifying federal and state documents and stealing legal immigrants jobs makes this right. This is not about race this is about equality and justice and most people do not support your extremist views madmex, phdee, etc. the reasoning is all the same. I prefer my chickens organicly grown. Healthier, more expensive, workers probably legal who actually care about what they are doing. Organic is the way of the here and now. The raids will continue and they will probably worsen, so to stand up for illegals who are committing crimes by working, driving, buying or renting a house is nothing but aiding and abetting according to current law, of course in sanctuary places these laws are ignored. Withdrawing of Federal funds for noncompliance is actually a very legitimate and legal way to fix the problem. Who wants a McMansion? Who wants brideges that collapse or roads that fail due to shoddy construction? I will gladly pay native born and legal immigrants for more quality work as well as to pick my vegetables or serve me food. I repeat why would you work for less than minimum wage in a dangerous work environment and risk not getting paid by unscrupulous employers? Sounds kind of dumb. Better solution would be to go back to your home country and come up with solutions to fix the problems there. Wouldn’t that make better sense then making another country suffer due to too much illegal immigration, i.e. higher taxes, reduced and shoddy healthcare, increased crime, reduced or substandard schooling, overcrowding, pollution out of control <i.e. have you seen the mountains of garbage collected near the US southern border at certain points. Notice the big drop in crime since illegal immigrants have begun leaving PWC. Drops in schooling enrollment and ESOL enrollment back this up. I will stand with you if you are a legal immigrant, i will forever stand against illegal immigration. This is every legal immigrants land it was not meant to be perverted and used by individuals who don’t pay taxes, don’t plan to learn the language, don’t plan to stay, illegals of course. Those with work visas, green cards, legal aliens, and those working towards their citizenship i applaud and encourage you. If i was to go to Mexico i would do everything in my power to respect the culture and customs, the language and most importantly the people and the law. I expect the same of individuals that come to my home country as well. LOL Chris Cummings
NO AMERICAN WILL DO THAT WORK. AT LEAST I KNOW I WOULDNT, THANKS TO ALL THESE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WE EAT THEY PICK THE CROPS CLEAN CHICKENS.ETC ETC, YES THEY ARE ILLEGAL ITS NOT RIGHT BUT THEY PAY TAXES. & THEY DONT GET $ BACK, MAYBE IF THEY CAN GET A PERMIT THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO WORK & AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THEY HAVE TO GO BACK & THEN AFTER A WHILE COME BACK & WORK, MAYBE WE WOULDNT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED TO MANASSAS AFTER THEY STARTED THAT LAW. MANASSAS WENT DOWN. BELEIVE IT OR NOT THEY WERE A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY. THEY JUST WANT TO WORK. THEY ARE NOT LIKE MOST GHETTO PEOPLE WHO JUST LIVE OF WELFARE & FOOD STAMPS. THEY CANT RECEIVE ANY OF THE GOV HELP.
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