Church moves to help families after Iowa's largest immigration raid

Published: 2008-05-13

DAVENPORT, Iowa (CNS) -- The arrest of more than 300 employees at an Iowa meatpacking plant has left countless families in a "state of terror" and once again shows the need for comprehensive immigration reform, according to Archbishop Jerome G. Hanus of Dubuque. "Some of the weakest members among us are bearing the brunt of the suffering, while legislators and other leaders, as well as many of us in the general public, have failed to give this issue the priority that it deserves," the archbishop said in a statement following the largest immigration raid in the state's history. In a statement posted on its Web site, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said its agents executed a criminal search warrant May 12 at Agriprocessors Inc. in Postville for evidence relating to aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers and other crimes, as well as a civil search warrant for people illegally in the United States. The plant is in the Dubuque Archdiocese. Scrambling to assist the many people affected by the raids is the newly formed Immigrant Safety Network, which aims to improve services and communications in response to such a raid. It is comprised of numerous social service agencies in the Des Moines area, including Catholic Charities of the Des Moines Diocese.

Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .