150 face criminal charges after immigration raid in Postville

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By The Associated Press | Thursday, May 15, 2008 10:40 AM CDT | () comments

DES MOINES — Dozens of people arrested in the nation's largest immigration raid were ushered through a temporary federal courthouse Wednesday for initial court appearances, in groups of about 10 represented by the same attorney.

The proceedings followed a raid Monday at the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville in which 390 people were arrested. More than 150 face criminal charges and are expected to be processed in a makeshift courtroom at the Cattle Congress grounds in Waterloo by Thursday, said Bob Teig, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Cedar Rapids.

Those who face only immigration charges will appear before an immigration judge after the others are processed.

``The court hearings have gone smoothly,'' Teig told The Associated Press. ``We've had people from our office working 24 hours in shifts to get paperwork processed as quick as we can.''

Some groups have criticized the court proceedings and the workload being placed on the public defenders who are representing the detainees.

Randall Wilson, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union, said it would be difficult for an attorney with 10 or more clients to serve each one adequately. He said detainees may feel pressured by prosecutors to accept early plea deals and may plead guilty without proper counsel.

``The typical rush to either cave in or suffer the full force of the law ... is going on here,'' Wilson said. ``It's not a situation where the attorneys taking on these cases have a whole lot of time to make their decisions.

``While we are fans of speedy justice, justice in haste leads to a lot of problems.''

A telephone message left Wednesday at the federal public defender's office in Des Moines was not immediately returned.

The raid affected nearly half the work force at Agriprocessors, the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 314 men and 76 women, most from Guatemala and Mexico but also some from Ukraine and Israel.

The U.S. attorney's office would not comment on whether company officials could face criminal charges. Teig said it's likely more people would be arrested but would not say how many.

Meanwhile, Agriprocessors resumed operations and says it will cooperate with any further investigation.

``We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families whose lives were disrupted and wish them the best,'' the company said in a statement. ``We are deeply committed to meeting the needs of all of our customers.''

The raid came after a monthslong investigation. According to an affidavit dated May 9, federal officials relied on several sources, including former employees and at least one undercover plant employee who wore a wire monitored by investigators.

Sources allegedly witnessed some employees getting paid with cash and wearing colored work hats to denote their status. Others were paid with checks that did not bear Agriprocessors' name.

Most of those arrested have been held in the Cattle Congress grounds, while more than 50 have been released to take care of their children or for medical conditions.

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