2 Supervisors Are Arrested After Sweep at Meat Plant

[sarge87]

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2 Supervisors Are Arrested After Sweep at Meat Plant

Saturday July 5, 1:34 am ET

By JULIA PRESTON

 

Two supervisors at a kosher meatpacking plant in Iowa where hundreds of illegal immigrants were rounded up in May were arrested Thursday on criminal immigration charges.

 

Federal prosecutors said they had also issued an arrest warrant for a third man described by workers as a plant manager.

 

The supervisors, Juan Carlos Guerrero Espinoza and Martin De la Rosa Loera, were arrested at the Agriprocessors plant in Postville, prosecutors said. They were the first employees who were not rank-and-file workers to be arrested since 389 illegal immigrants were rounded up at the plant on May 12, said Bob Teig, a spokesman for the United States attorney for the Northern District of Iowa.

 

Federal authorities called the raid the largest enforcement operation by immigration authorities at a single workplace. Unions and immigrant advocacy groups had criticized immigration officials for focusing arrests on workers while taking no action against top managers.

 

The arrest warrant was issued for Hosam Amara, 43. In interviews after the raid, several workers said Mr. Amara was a floor manager with more authority than line supervisors. They said he was a link between workers on the slaughterhouse floors and meatpacking lines and more senior management.

 

Agriprocessors, which before the raid was the country’s largest producer of kosher meat, is owned by Aaron Rubashkin. Two weeks after the raid, he removed his son Sholom as chief executive.

 

Most of the illegal immigrants arrested at the plant were from rural Guatemala. In expedited proceedings, 270 workers were sent to federal prison on criminal charges, most for presenting false documents when they were hired.

 

In a criminal complaint unsealed on Thursday, federal authorities said Mr. Guerrero was the supervisor of four departments in the Postville plant, including a slaughterhouse called Beef Kill. Workers cited anonymously in the complaint said Mr. Guerrero was running a business obtaining fraudulent immigration documents, known as green cards.

 

In the days before the raid, the workers said, according to the complaint, Mr. Guerrero told them in a meeting that “they needed new IDs and Social Security numbers to continue working at the company.” Mr. Guerrero collected $200 and a photograph from each worker, promising to provide new documents, the complaint says.

 

A former human resources employee cited in the complaint said Mr. Guerrero regularly brought in fake green cards for applicants.

 

A separate complaint says Mr. De la Rosa, a supervisor in Poultry Kill, also told illegal immigrant workers shortly before the raid that they needed new identity documents.

 

The complaints make it clear that a grand jury investigation of Agriprocessors is continuing.

 

Union officials said the new arrests did not go far enough.

 

“The arrest of two low-level supervisors, while a start, barely scratches the surface of this company’s bad behavior,” said Scott Frotman, a spokesman for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, which has tried to organize the plant. “What about the allegations of worker abuse? Does anyone really believe that these low-level supervisors acted alone without the knowledge, or even the direction, of the Rubashkins and other senior management?”

 

On Thursday in Houston, five senior managers of another company that was recently raided, Action Rags USA, made their initial court appearances. Those arrested on Wednesday included Mabarik Kahlon, 45, the owner of the company, an exporter of used clothing, and his partner Rasheed Ahmed, 58. About 160 workers were arrested on June 25 at the company’s plant in Houston.

[huskernumerouno]

Get em all from the top down. Just going after the workers will not stop the problem.

[sarge87]

Get em all from the top down. Just going after the workers will not stop the problem.

My thoughts exactly.

[BigRedfxtoy]

Get em all from the top down. Just going after the workers will not stop the problem.

My thoughts exactly.

 

 

You would have to go much higher up the chain to make a dent in this problem. It is a touchy subject with all poloticians, especially durring an election. This is just a bandaid. Remove the benefits of comming to this country instead of catering to it and you might be on the right track. At least give an incentive to become a citizen. There are no reasons for them to at this time. This is a very tough situation and one I for one am glad I don't have to try to get a start on.

[sarge87]

There's an update to this story...........

 

270 Workers were sent to prison, some up to 5 months for identity theft and forged documents.

 

3 supervisors are up on numerous federal charges.

 

This is the kicker - Up to as many as 20 employees were under the age of 18 and as young as 15. There were reports that the employees had to work up to 12 hours a day.

 

Why is this plant not shut down?

 

The workers need not spend 5 months in prison on our dime. They need to be sent home immediately. The owners on down to the lowest managers need to be investigated, and all who are in on this need to be jailed and the key thrown away.

 

I don't care what the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, unions, or the so-called immigrant rights activist wants. The laws need to be so if you're hiring illegals the fine needs to be at least $100,000 per illegal and a mandatory shutdown. If you're a union, same fine per illegal, and all membership records subject to investigation. Immigrant rights activists need to shut up, and help the people that have legally immigrated here.

 

All three of these groups are nothing but modern day slave owners. The Chamber likes their labor on the cheap. Unions likes to get as many workers paying dues, and many times are complicit of business practices, because the workers wont complain for fear of deportation. The so-called immigrant rights activists need as many as possible to gain political power as a voting block, so the politicians will pander to them, and fund them with your tax money in earmarks. The people who lose in this whole mess are the illegals.

 

Yeah, they're doing the jobs that Americans wont do. Under these conditions you couldn't pay American worker enough. Disgraceful!

[AZ4NE1]

 

Sure am glad I was born on THIS side of an imaginary line.

[hskrmama]

This is all going on about 20 miles from where I live. The owners are being charged with child labor laws, and several other charges. Not quite sure as to which ones yet, as they aren't done investigating. It was a rather interesting day that day, helicopters everywhere. Of course at the time we didn't know what was actually going on. There have been so many protests about how this is unfair to the workers, how they are being mistreated, I could about choke. Rumor is most have been or will be deported, several of the women got to stay behind to take care of thier kids, but they are all wearing ankle jewerly. The plant is all but shut down, they can't get people to work there. According to one of the sons who owns it they didn't know they hired underage kids, as they lied abou thier ages and used false id and ss#, and that this plant was set up by their enemies, whoever they are.

[sarge87]

****SNIP****

According to one of the sons who owns it they didn't know they hired underage kids, as they lied abou thier ages and used false id and ss#, and that this plant was set up by their enemies, whoever they are.

I have no sympathy for businesses that hire illegals. There is a Social Security database that the government has set up for employers to check the numbers. Someone should tell the owner's son that ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[huskernumerouno]

****SNIP****

According to one of the sons who owns it they didn't know they hired underage kids, as they lied abou thier ages and used false id and ss#, and that this plant was set up by their enemies, whoever they are.

I have no sympathy for businesses that hire illegals. There is a Social Security database that the government has set up for employers to check the numbers. Someone should tell the owner's son that ignorance of the law is no excuse.

I agree, they could verify if they wanted to but the easy money was to big of a lure. If you can't do the time ...........