POSTVILLE, IOWA � There is a small-town stillness here, neat houses and kids riding bicycles down quiet, leafy streets. But in the Guatemalan bakery, in church pews, at the meatpacking plant and the kosher deli, the strained voices almost always dwell on the raid that changed everything.

The stillness is not serenity. It’s shock.
Scores of heavily armed federal agents in May stormed into Agriprocessors, which produces up to 70 percent of all kosher meat in America. The feds seized almost 400 of the plant’s 900 workers in the largest single roundup of illegal immigrants to date, charging about 300 of them with identity theft and using stolen Social Security cards.

Some of those workers have since sued the company, alleging abuse, fraud and sexual coercion. Postville, which once sold T-shirts boasting of the peaceful coexistence of its many cultures, has been left “absolutely shattered,” said the Rev. Paul Ouderkirk of the town’s St. Bridget’s Catholic Church.

The impact of the raid is spreading from northern Iowa to the Twin Cities, New York and beyond, provoking debate among American Jews about whether it’s time to reassess how kosher food is produced.

“Our reputation is at stake,” said Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation in Mendota Heights, Minn. “It was embarrassing for us to hear what was being done in order to process kosher food.”

To grasp the wide impact of the raids, consider these snapshots:

Mexican and Guatemalan women, whose husbands are scattered in jails across the country, lining up for hymns and hot dish at St. Bridget’s, the hems of their frilly native dresses sometimes swaying to reveal the ankle bracelets they must wear to monitor their movements.

A group of Jewish leaders meeting recently in St. Louis Park, Minn., to raise money for the Agriprocessors’ workers and vowing to change the way the people who produce kosher foods are treated.

Rabbi Shalom Gurkov, a Hasidic Jew like the owners of Agriprocessors, standing on the main street in Postville in his long beard and solemn dress, vigorously disputing the accusations of crimes, inhumane treatment and sexual harassment that have been made by former workers.

New replacement worker Josephina Ortiz, near tears, telling strangers that she came from California based on promises by Agriprocessors of free rent, food and a good job. Instead, she claims, she found a filthy, expensive apartment and mandatory 14-hour days.

When Aaron Rubashkin opened Agriprocessors in 1987, Postville was foundering.

The Rubashkin family, widely credited with inventing the modern kosher processing plant, decided to cut costs by “bringing the butcher to the livestock,” and moved from New York to Iowa. Agriprocessors became one of northern Iowa’s largest employers.

Abe Bistritzky, a friend of the Rubashkin family, agreed to talk to the Star Tribune on behalf of the company, which has declined to comment since the raids. He said the illegal workers used fake documents and the company followed the law in verifying paperwork. Most of the workers were happy to have the jobs and were paid and treated fairly, he added.

The Rubashkins “took a town that had balls of hay rolling in it and they built up a community of approximately 120 Jewish families,” Bistritzky said. “They built a yeshiva, a Jewish school for kids,” gave money to the city, to charity and recently sent food to flood victims.

“The Rubashkin family is charitable. They’re not prejudiced; they’ll hire any kind of person, anyone who will walk through the door,” Bistritzky said. “What happened was when (Jews) came to town, they looked at us like we’re Martians. ... They didn’t understand the black coats, the white shirts, the beards, the black hats, and they needed to learn about us.“

The sight of Hasidic Jews wandering the streets of a small town in Iowa initially seemed quaint. But the insular nature of their Lubavitch sect created distrust in the community, exacerbated when the Rubashkins started importing workers of many nationalities, especially Hispanics, as their plant expanded.

In 2000, Stephen Bloom wrote a book, “Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America,” detailing the community’s conflicts and compromises since the arrival of Agriprocessors. He clearly indicated many of its workers were illegal. Ouderkirk now calls the book “prophetic.“

In recent years, there were problems with Agriprocessors in Iowa and elsewhere: pollution violations, fights with labor unions trying to organize, OSHA violations and charges of animal abuse by PETA. This year, the Iowa Division of Labor Services fined the company $182,000 for 39 health violations.

The federal raid this spring came about based on information from an informant inside the plant who reported witnessing plant managers hire and help workers with fake identity papers. Up to 76 percent of workers did not have correct Social Security numbers, according to the search warrant. The informant also reported seeing managers abuse workers, including hitting one with a meat hook. One manager also ran a scam in which illegal workers were coerced into buying cars from him, the warrant said.

Some female employees also have alleged they were sexually coerced by managers, according to St. Bridget’s Sister Mary McCauley.

Federal officials have declined to comment on the case beyond the details disclosed in their warrant.

St. Bridget’s is command central for the battle with Agriprocessors. Guatemalan children scramble on the porch as their mothers line up to get advice, or money, from Ouderkirk and McCauley.

One summer morning, Ouderkirk slipped on his St. Paul medal “for protection” and drove to the plant to get money he said is still owed to arrested workers. He waited for 40 minutes, then left, empty-handed and exasperated.

“Workers openly say they were advised by the plant on how to get false documents,” he said. “Now if the government does not take action on that and charge the owners, then this was strictly a raid to threaten and terrorize people.”

The situation at Agriprocessors reveals “a lack of respect of human dignity of people other than you,” Ouderkirk said. “Politicians who should have been leading the way did nothing.”

Bistritzky dismisses most of the worst accusations as fabrications.

“I can’t vouch for what happened over 18 years,” Bistritzky said. “But maybe (the Rubashkins) should have put a little bit more emphasis to reacting maybe to the town. Maybe they had a lack of communication with people.”

Rabbi Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation knew about Agriprocessors’ problems a long time before the raid. He knew the most recent CEO, Sholom Rubashkin, who for a time lived in St. Paul’s Highland Park before moving to Postville. After reading an article critical of the company, Allen led a delegation of Twin Cities rabbis to Postville in 2006.

Workers told story after story of long hours, unsafe conditions and wages as low as $5 an hour. They told him many of the same things now in court documents.

“They appeared to me to do everything possible to maximize the bottom line at the expense of human dignity,” Allen said of the plant owners.

The Minnesota rabbis tried to work with the Rubashkins. “I think if they had followed our advice, this may never have happened,” he said.

Allen is now leading a national movement to create a certification program called Hekhsher Tzedek, much like fair trade agreements, which would ensure not only that kosher meat is prepared properly, but also that workers are treated fairly.

Some Jewish groups have called for a boycott on Agriprocessors, and many more nationally are debating it. The raid has caused shortages of kosher meat in some places.

Postville’s playgrounds and parks are empty since the raid, and there are fears that as many as 18 teachers may be dismissed because so many of the students have gone back to Mexico or Guatemala.

Sabor Latina, once the town’s most popular restaurant, is only open part time. The busiest address in town is often the food shelf, where demand has recently tripled. Those lined up for beans and bread include Hispanic mothers, many awaiting deportation, and their children, most of whom are American citizens.

Four of them, Guatemalan women, live in one house with their nine children. A 16-year-old named William, who said he worked 10-hour overnight shifts at the plant, is the only one left in a house a few blocks away. He shrugged when asked what he would do next.

Then there are Agriprocessors’ new hires, whites and African-Americans, who arrived on the bus. They said they’d been promised a $100 advance, but few of them got it. So their first stop was the food shelf.

Jeff Abbas, who runs the local radio station, says he has seen some positive changes since the raids.

“I’d say the relationship between Hispanics and people who grew up around here has gotten stronger because of this,” he said. “The people who have grown up around here suddenly realized [the workers] were real people, too.“

The town even put up red ribbons on lampposts in support of plant workers.

While he abhors the tactics of immigration officials, Ouderkirk says some good may come of their raid.

“They brought out the cracks in the dam and the folly of our immigration policy,” he said.

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More News:

mindful wrote on Jul 23, 2008 8:54 PM:

" I wonder what my father and grandfather would have to say if they knew immigrants are living in the house we grew up in. My grandfather was an immigrant also, from Germany. Difference is? Last ones living there even flew their flag on top of the house? I dunno... "

Peachee wrote on Jul 22, 2008 3:59 PM:

" iowaboy...I came from northeast Iowa also...
I personally know that quite a few people and businesses in Iowa voiced their opinions and feelings against what was going on. The jewish people moved in and left trash all over the place and let their places run down..the Spanish came in and started taking advantage of the handouts available from hard working American citizen tax $$$$. No one would do anything about it...why isnt our goverment taking of care of business in the 1st place...I dont think it is fair to point a finger at EVERYONE that lives in Postville, for everyone didnt want to cater to the newcomers...I know that property value took a nose dive...you cant blame that on ALL of Postville! "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 22, 2008 11:04 AM:

" IowaBoy Thanks for some input from the inside of the situation. Sadly you are correct and it isnt just Postville and it was probably more so that Postville was singled out because of the jewish community that relocated there, the religion card makes the story much more disturbing than drinking people making furniture. "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 22, 2008 12:05 AM:

" HonestAbe your right i agreed with all of it but I just really really agreed with that statement and wanted to point that out.Couldnt had said it better myself.Opinions differ sometimes and other times they concur.
your a great debater and dont let any of those haters get to you. My saying is "you will either love me or hate me, but you probably wont like me ;-)~ "

iowaboy wrote on Jul 21, 2008 11:28 PM:

" I grew up in this northeast iowa community. It's only to blame but the people of postville.

Fifteen years ago the locals put up a stink about the mexicans in the community. The complained about the onsought of crime, drugs, and violence.

Then some of the people of Postville realized the financial gains from these people. The mechanics saw $$ from car repairs, the landlords sayw rent, the local farmers saw cheap labor, the government saw constant income from fines.

I feel nothing but tough luck for the people of postville. U catered to it for more than a decade, now your low-income cash cow is gone. U complained and then someone saw a $ to be made. Not much better then Agri itself. "

PackAttack2020 wrote on Jul 21, 2008 10:04 PM:

" WoW! I see a lot of one-sided arguments here. The way I see it, the ILLEGAL immigrants AND the OWNERS are BOTH at fault, and they should BOTH be punished. I have no problem with immigration, but do it legally or face the penalty YOU RISK when you commit that crime: those that chose to violate that law put their own families at risk. My predecessors came here legally...THAT is the ONLY way anyone should gain citizenship here. The owners: ingnorance or with intent, the penalty should be steep, because they are enabling the weakening of our borders. "

midwest wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:47 PM:

" I hope some of you don't think that the local population in the Postville and surrounding areas didn't know this was going on. Numerous complaints were filed, but the local law enforcement and governments turned a blind eye and let it go on. The illegal aliens knew it was going to "go down" sooner or later, why do you think they all scrambled so quickly to the church for protection? They knew it was going to happen.
But before you criticize the Postville community, look in your own backyards, i.e. Arcadia, Whitehall. It's sad for all the broken families, but it needed to happen. "

HonestAbe wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:32 PM:

" Jackson, we've been on the same side before ... must be the hip thing to hate me I guess, that's a good thing when talking opinions ... shows people are seeing my side.

But uh .... ""this time I have to agree with ONE thing HonestAbe said""

You're wrong wrong wrong (lol)

;) "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:22 PM:

" $$$$$$$$$$$$HIGHLY ACCOUNTABLE$$$$$$$$$$ "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:20 PM:

" ((((((((((((HIGHLY ACCOUNTABLE))))))))))))) "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:17 PM:

" I've probably said more than I should have but when it comes to selling out my country and American workers and its citizens it pisses me off! This will not stop untill we hold the people hiring the illegals
((((((((HIGHLEY ACCOUNTABLE)))))))))))) instead of NAFTA-ly slapping their wrist while taking a kickback! "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:00 PM:

" Jews using Spanish illegals turning a town in America's Heartland into a melting pot while making Kosher meat!Any questions? Most likely the extorted who were being extorted by the corporate extorters wouldn't give anymore so they called the feds on the corporate extorters feeding them a "KOSHER BUST" Thats why it went on so long all in the name of an inside investigation, while billions were made.
Fined less than 200,000.00 when it all came undone for the price to do business sure was cheap no wonder its happening all over.. "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 4:58 PM:

" The orginization that killed 2 presidents named Kennedy and a teamster boss named Hoffa has eaten through Americas businesses through aquisition after aquisition piece mealing it by selling to the highest bidder all in the name of profit without morality (There goes Anhueser Busch)Thats the nature of the beast but where it went all wrong was when we started selling and buying globally. As Jesse Jackson once said "To survive you must keep your neighborhoods black with black money" He was right and it really applies to all races and this story is proof of that. "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 4:08 PM:

" You cant blame these people that fall for empty promises who work the fields for 3.00 a day and where a whole village chips in to buy a community vehicle.I employed 2 legals from there for 8 bucks an hour each and they sent half their pay home per week and one day their Isuzu trooper because it was worth more to the village than they could ever sell it for here in America.Their brother now runs a taxi service with it and is out of the fields and their family is considered upper class. Americans need to rethink some of their habits. Ask yourself how they do it on 8 bucks an hour but we cant? They band togeather and are a community of hand ups and bartors not capitalist and cut throats! "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 4:01 PM:

" The NY Jews found a little quiet IA town to run a slavery ring out of while providing jobs to illegals making 70% of Americas Kosher meat products by The Rubashkin family, widely credited with inventing the modern kosher processing plant, decided to cut costs by bringing the butcher to the livestock, and moved from New York to Iowa. Agriprocessors became one of northern Iowas largest employers.
What it doesnt say is that these employees arent from Iowa but instead from Mexico and Guatamalla brought here ILLEGALLY! "

Teiresias wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:52 PM:

" 400 of 900 employees were illegal and yet the owners claim ignorance?
Jail the owners. They were willfully ignorant and broke the law by hiring illegals.
Holding the owners (who profit handsomely from the illegal work) responsibile will serve as a warning to others and will shut down illegal employment overnight. "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:48 PM:

" Follow the MONEY always and see how much is globally leaving America through foreign investors. Its financial terrorism for profit and were being raped of our future.When the real truth comes out Americans will be wondering how this happened.MY small TRUCK, 200 miles a day at 10 mpg = 20 gallons X 4.00 = 80.00 a day GET IT YET?.....NO? You will soon if you dont because that translates directly to any cash register because EVERYTHING comes by TRUCK.Answewr buy a japanese made truck that gets better mileage right? WRONG fix the extortion going on at the pumps. If you dont think this money isnt being washed and funneled to terrorism you better think again. "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:45 PM:

" Why should we adapt? because Corporate America is making a killing on slavery and want us to make it easier for them.Jews enslaving the Spanish with empty promises while relocating to Postville Ia. low wages and for profit jobs and housing.When those food shortages come there will be a battle for the heartlands land because it is the richest in the world and needed, mean while the OWNERS of that land work it 24/7/365 for less than mimimum wage only to make theses a**holes rich. "

Im Still Jackson wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:37 PM:

" Corporate slavery is the best term. this company knew exactly what was going on and this time I have to agree with ONE thing HonestAbe said
"They say 'we do the jobs nobody else wants' HOGWASH. What they're actually doing, is keeping wages down giving employers a cheap & easy out. As well, they are making citizens go unemployed because the employer that would have had to up the ante in wages, doesn't have to.

Press one for english "
This is AMERICA'S Heartland WTF speak english or go back home. "

HonestAbe wrote on Jul 21, 2008 3:17 PM:

" Mack must be a union member .

LOL "

Anna wrote on Jul 21, 2008 2:31 PM:

" Well I can honestly say I would not want to eat of any meat produced in a negative work environment, whether it be the animals or the people. Glad I'm vegetarian and choosy about where those come from, too! "

Will U. Snugglewiffme wrote on Jul 21, 2008 1:43 PM:

" in response to myturn

WWE Chairman Vince McMahon says it like this:It's all about the Munn!-neyyyy!!! "

Mack wrote on Jul 21, 2008 1:08 PM:

" Honest Abe has the yips again. Think more, write less. "

RanDomino wrote on Jul 21, 2008 1:03 PM:

" Hundreds of families destroyed, and you people cheer because the master race is being kept pure. "

HonestAbe wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:55 PM:

" Look here people ,,, these people are not suppose to be here, show no sympathy. They are part of our economic problem. They say 'we do the jobs nobody else wants' HOGWASH. What they're actually doing, is keeping wages down giving employers a cheap & easy out. As well, they are making citizens go unemployed because the employer that would have had to up the ante in wages, doesn't have to.

Press one for english "

HonestAbe wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:52 PM:

" rickey, paying a union to have a job has never made any sense to me. I can do my own negotiating without having to pay some union head to fend for me. As well, if a company does not offer what I want, I walk. In union shops, its the union against the company ... and the office against the floor people. That's a rough life, and on top of that you have to pay to be a member of the union? No thanks.

I've always worked for companies, not unions, and have found that the companies that do not offer a union take better care of their people on a personal level, because they dont have some union steward always whining in their ear. "

HonestAbe wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:48 PM:

" Vicky said ""They are only trying to provide for their families just like anyone else.""

No, not just like anyone else, they broke the law bringing their families here crossing the border. They broke the law renting an apartment/home with false documents and got the job with the same false documents. Now, how is this like 'anyone else' when referring to citizens born and raised here? Guess I missed it.

THESE ARE CRIMINALS. Most of them have such terrible criminal histories they cant come here legally to begin with! That's why most dont want them here. "

free_speech wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:42 PM:

" I like tacos. "

HonestAbe wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:42 PM:

" Anna, pay well and offer benefits, that's how.

These people want cheap labor and are willing to do anything to get it. So, I hope this fiasco costs them more than if they would have offered high wages and benes all along.

kosher aint kosher no more lol "

Myturn wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:33 PM:

" Vicki-
I agree, although that will not happen, or fairly, until there is a verifiable data base that employers like myself can access quickly and efficiently. Data base, computers? Just don't let the State of WI get involved. "

Vicky wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:12 PM:

" Illegal immigration will continue as long as the employers who knowingly hire them go unpunished. Don't blame the workers. They are only trying to provide for their families just like anyone else. I agree that they should obtain citizenship, but the people who hire them should be the ones being punished. "

rickey wrote on Jul 21, 2008 11:50 AM:

" If They paid a Union living wage there would be plenty of people from that area wanting jobs as Hormel and Oscar Meyer "

CJ wrote on Jul 21, 2008 11:43 AM:

" Rickey so the Union would have done what??? At least they have jobs and I'll give them credit there but if they are here illegal they should have tried to work towards citizenship. Willing to bet most of us on here wouldn't do or want the work they had been doing. "

mindful wrote on Jul 21, 2008 11:33 AM:

" In addition, there are all the farming outfits (or "misfits" rather) scattered throughout Allamakee, Houston, etc.. counties employing the same. All you have to do is look for the huge farms (lit up 24/7). Locals seem to turn their heads when it's only a few but it's still not right. "

Mack wrote on Jul 21, 2008 11:31 AM:

" Undocumented immigrant workers are a VERY SMALL segment of America's underground economies. Others include tips, rents, a lot of construction work, some people think evading taxes is their God given right and then they will go on and on to claim how patriotic they are. The undocumented workers have the least protection though, mistreating anybody is still a crime and that is what really needs to be punished. "

Myturn wrote on Jul 21, 2008 10:31 AM:

" They have the ability to suck the air out of a room, any room! "

Myturn wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:50 AM:

" It is all about money!!!!
I was born and raised in St. Louis Park.
It is all about money!!!! "

R A wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:06 AM:

" I would like to know where the FEDERAL INSPECTORs that are supposed to be at every meat processing plant were all these years. I blame the government for their lack of supervision at all of the food plants accross the country. There was a Kosher plant which still may be in operation,in Whitehall Ws, which I understand was the most filthy, polluting place around. So not only do these kosher Jew plants not abide by the law they are a detrement to the land and water supply. They are inhumane in their killing of the animals. The FDA has become very lax in their operations and taking care of our food supply. We must get involved and hold them accountable. Also those who hire illigals. The companies have to be supervised! We can't blame the people who come to work there, they were lied to. "

antieverything wrote on Jul 21, 2008 9:03 AM:

" Handled perfectly on all fronts! TO the people of Postville, You knew this was bound to happen. Shame on Postville "

Anna wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:56 AM:

" I always thought the production of kosher products was to be done with the most holy, wholesome of intentions which should include observance of law. On the other hand, how could we get that number of American citizens to do such work? As always, a moral dilemma. "

nana3 wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:46 AM:

" kudos to the feds, hopefully they will keep finding illegals so more Americans will have jobs. "

political Correctness wrote on Jul 21, 2008 8:12 AM:

" alright i dont understand how these people can sue this company if they aren't even legal citizens. They do not have a right to be in this country so they dont have a right to sue anything here. I know that the constitution is for any person on US soil, but they shouldn't be able to sue a company now that they have been caught knowing fully that what they were doing was against the law "

High Plains Drifter wrote on Jul 21, 2008 6:29 AM:

" "Rabbi Shalom Gurkov, a Hasidic Jew like the owners of Agriprocessors, standing on the main street in Postville in his long beard and solemn dress, vigorously disputing the accusations of crimes...." I don't know what type of dress a solemn is and I also didn't know rabbis wore dresses.Is that kosher??? "

Rickey wrote on Jul 21, 2008 5:56 AM:

" That is what You get from a NON-UNION scab type outfit "

HonestAbe wrote on Jul 21, 2008 12:02 AM:

" ""roundup of illegal immigrants to date""

How is this a ribbon on the tree type of happening? You hire illegal workers, expect to be caught. Pay legal AMERICANS a decent wage and produce a repectable product.

Not everything that is cheap is worth it, now you know I guess.

The community, in my opinion, is just as at fault as the employer ... you didn't notice an influx of non-english speaking people that work their hearts out minimum wage. That'd be clue 1. Someone noticed and called ICE, good job to that one person that was more concerned in doing the right thing, than saving a dollar or two. "

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