According to KCRG, officials discovered a methamphetamine lab within the AgriProcessors meat processing facility in Postville, Iowa during a large-scale immigration raid. 389 arrests were made by federal agencies from what is thought to be one of the largest immigration enforcement actions ever taken in the United States. Details, inside…

AgriProcessors, founded by Aaron Rubashkin, an Hasidic Orthodox Jewish butcher and rabbi from Brooklyn, supplies over half the kosher meat sold in the United States. On May 12th agents executed criminal search warrants for aggravated identity theft and the use of fraudulent Social Security numbers. There were 697 warrants and 389 arrests. Currently, officials aren’t certain as to who exactly was operating the meth lab.

One former plant supervisor alleged that over 80% of the floor employees were illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala and Eastern Europe. Additionally 3 of their rabbis, whose job it is to supervise the kosher slaughter of livestock, were Israelis who were also illegally employed.

The local government has tripled its courtrooms and assigned temporary personnel to help quickly process the large number of detainees. Those who are facing criminal charges have been assigned lawyers. Those not facing criminal charges will have a hearing in front of an immigration judge who will decide if that person can stay in the country. If the judge orders deportation then that detainee will return to their home country almost immediately unless they appeal.

AgriProcessors is no stranger to controversy. In 2005 PETA released hidden video footage of inhumane practices within this same Postville facility. Then in 2006, the company was fined $600,000 for environmental damages caused by raw sewage released in the area.

The large magnitude of this operation must be a massive strain on the town and the detainees. We’re glad to see that officials are trying to speed up the process so that the detainees won’t have to wait long to see an immigration judge. AgriProcessors’ resume already includes animal abuse, raw sewage pollution and illegal workers, but for us, the meth lab is the icing on this awful cake. We can only hope that these recent events stimulate a positive change at AgriProcessors, but we won’t hold our breath.

Immigration Raid: Officials had Inside Source [KCRG]
Immigration Raid: Over 300 Face Charges [KCRG]
Agriprocessors [Wiki]
Feds: Drugs made at kosher meat plant [Jewish Telegraph Agency]

(Photo: Getty)

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