May 16, 2008

Exclusive: Raid at Meatpacking Plant Illustrates Key Immigration Concerns

Michael Cutler

Earlier this week, a multi-agency field operationconducted by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and other law enforcement agencies was conducted at a meatpacking plant in Iowa. 300 people were arrested, representing a third of the plant's employees. Complaints about identity theft (ID fraud) led, in part, to the raid, and the arrest warrants depended upon statements and evidence given by illegal alien informants, who agreed to cooperate with law enforcement.

The cultivation of informants is absolutely critical to law enforcement. This is especially true in combating terrorism, organized crime and large-scale conspiracies. This is yet another reason why our nation needs to hire many more special agents for ICE and provide them with the resources they desperately need to do their jobs effectively. The best way to cultivate informants and gain crucial information is to arrest law violators and provide them with the opportunity to assist law enforcement authorities.The information that these informants can provide is often priceless and absolutely vital to the successful pursuit of investigations.Without an adequate number of ICE agents, such opportunities are forever lost.

With regard to this particular raid, what is of additional concern is the allegation that some of the arrested employees were running a methamphetamine lab in the plant and bringing weapons to work. What would happen if the "meth"or pre-cursor chemicals used to produce that dangerous and highly addictive drugsomehow contaminated themeat being processed?

And consider the havoc that identity theft causes for the victim whose name, Social Security Number and other personal information are stolen. In some cases, the fallout can haunt the victim for years.

How happy would you be to have a job in a food processing plant where your fellow workers were using false names so that you did not even know who the person standing next to you at work really was? How would it make you feel to know that some of your fellow workers were not only involved in the production and distribution of a dangerous drug (in the workplace, no less), but may well be armed with a gun as well?Is this the environment you would want your spouse or child to be working in?

Naturally, protestors showed up to show solidarity as those arrested were taken away in buses. Shouts of "We are with you!" and "We are all equal!" could be heard. I wonder if any of the protestors complained about the brutal assault that was allegedly committed against an illegal alien from Guatemala by his supervisor. It's said the supervisor covered his eyes with duct tape and struck him with a meat hook. The Guatemalan did not report this incident for fear of losing his job.

Illegal immigration is wrong on so many levels and for so many reasons.

Illegal aliens are no more industrious than resident aliens and United States citizens.The big advantage that illegal aliens offer is their vulnerable and precarious position by virtue of their illegal status.Therefore, they are easy to exploit as is clearly illustrated by the treatment of the worker from Guatemala.This is certainly not the "American Dream!"

These workers were also underpaid. I suspect that if the plant had been willing to pay prevailing wages that they would have had no problem in hiringUnited States citizens and resident aliens.

The issue of illegal immigration is not about racism, as the open borders often allege, but it is about the law.It is about exploitation.It is about protecting the jobs of American workers and providing for the security of our nation and our citizens.

This is not a partisan issue; it is an American issue!

WhenSen. Obama says that he wants to bring the jobs back to America, we should be asking, "Who do you want to get those jobs?""What are you willing to do to make certain that those who hire illegal aliens will be made to pay the price that the law requires?"Americans must not only ask these questions of Obama, his fellow presidential candidates and fellow members of Congress, but we must also demand satisfactory answers and viable solutions.

When we go to a restaurant to order our food we tend to bevery specific about what we want to eat and how we want it prepared. We must be just as adamant about our concerns where immigration, border security and other issues are concerned. It is vital that we Americans contact those who allege to represent us and place our orders!