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Postville , IA - 300 Arrested At Rubashkin Kosher Meat Plant, Feds: Abuse By Owners Cited. PHOTOS |
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Last updated on: May 12, 2008 at 07:36 PM
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An Iowa State Patrol vehicle sits this morning at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville.
Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday issued criminal search warrants for aggravated identify theft and fraudulent Social Security numbers.
Agency spokesman Tim Counts told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that civil search warrants also were issued for illegal immigrants, and agents and medical professionals are evaluating those who have been arrested.
Immigration officials told aides to U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley that they expect 600 to 700 arrests. About 1,000 to 1,500 people work at the plant, according to Iowa Workforce Development.
Several vehicles from the immigration agency and at least eight Iowa State Patrol cars and vans are at the plant. A helicopter is also hovering.
Agriprocessors is the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant.
U/D 6:36 PM
According to search warrants, ICE agents interviewed a former plant supervisor – identified as “Source 1” – in November 2007, who told them that the plant employed foreign nationals from Mexico, Guatemala and Eastern Europe. Roughly 80 percent of those workers were living illegally in the U.S., the supervisor said.
“Source 1” told federal agents that some employees were running a methamphetamine lab in the plant, and were bringing weapons to work. The supervisor confronted a higher-level manager about the drugs, and shortly after was fired.
The supervisors also described an encounter with the plant’s human resources manager about three separate Social Security cards from different employees with the same number. The human resources manager "laughed when this matter was brought to her attention," the supervisor told federal agents.
In February 2008, a confidential informant identified as "Source 7," who has worked with federal agents in past immigration cases, detailed several incidents of alleged worker abuse at the plant.
The source, who was lawfully employed at the plant, told authorities that a floor supervisor duct-taped the eyes of an illegal Guatemalan employee and struck him with a meat hook. The blow caused no serious injuries.
"Source 7" asked the Guatemalan to report the incident, but the employee said doing so could jeopardize his job.
In another alleged incident, Source 7 said, a floor supervisor identified as a Hasidic Jew pushed another illegal employee because he did not like the way the employee was moving meat.
A plant employee identified as “Source 11” told authorities that he/she was hired without presenting employment documents or filling out any forms. The worker’s first paycheck had a different person’s name on it, which was then cashed at another part of the plant.
Undocumented workers were paid $5 an hour for their first three or four months on the job, the employee said, and then received a salary increase to $6 per hour.
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Read Comments (53) — Post Yours »
1
May 12, 2008 at 01:54 PM Anonymous Says:
Poor Reb Moshe, he's really going down hard on many fronts. Hashem should help him.
2
May 12, 2008 at 01:54 PM Mendy Says:
Poor Reb Moshe, he's really going down hard on many fronts. Hashem should help him.
3
May 12, 2008 at 02:06 PM Anonymous Says:
to Mendey
Moshe has nothing to do with the plant
4
May 12, 2008 at 02:15 PM Anonymous Says:
there goes meat prices
5
May 12, 2008 at 02:20 PM naftulia Says:
Here goes the price of kosher meat
6
May 12, 2008 at 02:47 PM Anonymous Says:
Who's Reb Moshe?
7
May 12, 2008 at 03:03 PM Anonymous Says:
Here goes the price of meat. another reason to guage the kosher meat market. mark my words prices will go up because of this.
8
May 12, 2008 at 03:16 PM Anonymous Says:
It seems lots of bad news lately for Agri processing.
I wonder how much longer they will stay in business.
9
May 12, 2008 at 03:52 PM Anonymous Says:
if our own people wouldnt be so jealous that things are going well for another yid such things wouldnt have happened!
10
May 12, 2008 at 03:55 PM Anonymous Says:
Unions are behind this. Mafia ridden unions that were getting nowhere organizing it.
Let Rubashkin move all shechita to Uruguay and fix them once and for all. The shkootzim in Postville will be begging them to come back.
11
May 12, 2008 at 04:04 PM Anonymous Says:
the unions are whats bringing down the economy!
12
May 12, 2008 at 04:39 PM Anonymous Says:
I wish the INS would raid a lot of other stores too. Let the illegals go home.
13
May 12, 2008 at 05:28 PM Anonymous Says:
Unfortunately it's most probably an other kosher meat company who Massered them.
When they first started, they were the litle lubavitch company , and everyone laughed and said they wouldn't make it, now they are the biggest, so everyone is jealouse.
When your the biggest, it's inevitable to have problems.
Im sure they are not going anywhere. This is just one more reason to pursevere.
MB
14
May 12, 2008 at 05:44 PM Anonymous Says:
Doesn't it all sound like Janet Reno & Waco? I hope the business survives, but will the Rubashkins be prosecuted for hiring illegals? All the development they brought to this little town will probably go down the tubes. Everyone will suffer, esp. the goyim. It's a real pity.
15
May 12, 2008 at 06:18 PM Anonymous Says:
I hope the Aibeshter takes care of them!! Nebach!
16
May 12, 2008 at 07:21 PM Anonymous Says:
If rival companies think they will gain. Your right: only for the short term. Agriprocessors was only targeted because they are the largest. You will be next.
If you think im wrong remember Gush Katif. We all stood by and a year later they were emboldened to hail misses upon our people from the north.
The Unions did in Detroit now they are in our corner.
17
May 12, 2008 at 08:09 PM Anonymous Says:
Rubashkins are going down.
18
May 12, 2008 at 08:18 PM Anonymous Says:
Unions have nothing to do with what happened. Ganavus had everything to do with it. Reports are now coming out that there were CHILDREN working in the plant. Can we really call meat produced by children kosher?
The problem is we did not police Rubashkin ourselves. Our kashrus organizations failed us. The fault my friends lies with us, not others.
19
May 12, 2008 at 08:42 PM Anonymous Says:
Businesses should hire legally only.
20
May 12, 2008 at 08:43 PM Anonymous Says:
Does this mean that Meat prices will be going up?
21
May 12, 2008 at 08:50 PM Anonymous Says:
pAYING PEOPLE 5.00 AN HOUR IS A CHUTZPAH. Hiring Illegal aliens is also a chillul hashem and a chutzpah. Hiring Illegals is a very big political topic these days and most of the country is actually fed up with illegals. Now wether we agree with illegals or not we should know the facts. Illegals cost tax payers billions of dolars a year. Illegals are not careful when it comes to sanitary issues and not because they are bad people but this is the way they are.
Illegals clog up hospitals and when getting into a car accident with one of them you can't sue or get any money to pay for damages.
If you think this is just an Iowa problem or a Rubashkin problem then think again. EVERYONE knows that hiring an illegal is ILLEGAL!
Why is it that we keep on thinking we are above the law? We always wonder why the goyim hates us---this is exactly why. We MUST abide by the laws.
It's a shame that when so many frum ehrlich people need jobs rubashkin can't hire them because it might cost an extra 10.00 an hour.
Now look what will happen. Rubashkin saved NOTHING and we will pay higher prices for their mess.
22
May 12, 2008 at 09:08 PM mendy Says:
if he did it he deserves to be arrested too.what a big chillel hashem
23
May 12, 2008 at 09:19 PM Anonymous Says:
unfotunately the moiser is a previos rosh hashochtim
24
May 12, 2008 at 09:23 PM tootired Says:
"Unfortunately it's most probably an other kosher meat company who Massered them.
When your the biggest, it's inevitable to have problems."
So... are you saying they did not do this stuff? If they did, they were wrong (duh), regardless of this "jealousy" business.
25
May 12, 2008 at 09:52 PM Anonymous Says:
Who moisered them is irrelevent, he will have to face a higher authority. The point is what makes Rusbaskin think that they are above the law of the land. We taught to live in our repective countries to obey the civil authorites. Everytime a Frum business, rabbi, teacher or other person violates the law it is a reflection on every other Yid. Who are we to think that we are above everyone else with respect to civil law. Why should there be medicaid & food stamp fraud by suposedly "frum" people. We are told to be an example and light to the world, is this the type of example we want to be.
26
May 12, 2008 at 09:53 PM Anonymous Says:
Wouldn't be surprised if PETA is related to this
27
May 12, 2008 at 09:55 PM Anonymous Says:
Time for the illegals to go back home.
28
May 12, 2008 at 10:25 PM Anonymous Says:
are some of these "illegals" heimishers? (shochtim from eretz yisroel and south america??
29
May 12, 2008 at 10:56 PM Anonymous Says:
Actually, I worry about the KASHRUS from such a plant
If they really did "cheat" the system - by hiring illegals for low wages, then of course why would they not "cheat" the system, for profit, of selling non kosher products as kosher - think SHEVACH MEATS.
30
May 12, 2008 at 11:09 PM @anon 850pm Says:
Firstly, where do you get your information that Rubashkins were paying their workers $5 an hour? look at the laws! the minimum dollar per hour in Iowa is at $6.25! yes it's a low sum of money but that is what STARTING pay is. they ARE following the letter of the law when paying these low amounts. the ppl that are working these hours are aware of what they are getting paid and took the job so don't scream that the JEWS are stiffing the illeagals and arenot showing "a light to the world"
31
May 12, 2008 at 11:32 PM Anonymous Says:
Great so my meat is coming from Mexicans, now I sure that my meat is kosher!! KFC wouldn't hire illegals.
32
May 12, 2008 at 11:35 PM Anonymous Says:
blah blah blah ....................
Dont you think he is as smart as you are ?
Who says he did not follow the law . does he have a computer to the social security office to verify each card ? as long as the person give him a legal number he is allowed to hire him , No company needs to be a detective and figure out if the guy is lying , Until now
recently the law was changed and you need multiple proof of ID - which the illegals get anyway - but it makes it a bit harder
we should all daven that they should not have any criminal issues and that after all this , they should be a better company
like another one posted - some of the "illegals" are our brothers as well
33
May 12, 2008 at 11:51 PM Anonymous Says:
KAJ left a few months ago.
34
May 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM Anonymous Says:
I have visited the plant many times and I cantell that most of you do not know what you are talking about.
Everyone is paid on the books. That means that they are getting a least minimum wage.
No one is forcing these Mexicans to work at the plant. They are traveling all the way from Mexico and further so that they can make some money.
There is no way they can hire frum workers and keep the price of kosher meat low. If they hire frum workers, they wil have to pay them 2-3 times more that the mexucans. What is going to happen to the price of kosher meat?
Almost all meat packing plants hire illegal workers, including the other kosher ones. How do I know, I was at some other plants and saw it with my own eyes.
No frum person would want some of those jobs even if they were paid. It is back breaking work that can be very dangerous as times.
Think of all the money thus frum company will be losing when the unproccessed meat will be trashed. Think of all the frum workers who get paid by the hour and will not get a paycheck this week.
Most of you who are bashing agripro hire illegal cleaning ladies and pay them cash. So get off of your high horses and show some empathy for a family that is known for their tzedakah and chesed.
35
May 13, 2008 at 01:03 AM PETA SHOULD ROT! Says:
Right or wrong....
I have no doubt PETA or some left wing wakko group was involved.
36
May 13, 2008 at 01:16 AM MP Says:
I spoke today to a shochet who works there and he told me some info that might be interesting to VIN readers.
1. Only two jews from israel were arrested. (Lubavitcher Chasidim). The rest are all non jewish.
2. Rubashkin knows who was the informant - a Shochet who was recently fired.
3. The Shochtim and the Mashgichim on hand finished kosherring the slaughtered animals that were still hanging from before the raid.
4. They have much more illegal employees who work the night shift. All of those not present on the plant during the raid, skipped town immediately. Many of these illegals left their kids behind in the local public school.
5. Many of the federal agents where from all over the united states.
Think about it. us - the tax payers are financing a multi million dollar raid.
37
May 13, 2008 at 02:04 AM Anonymous Says:
I have extensive experience with illegals: The damage caused outweigh any benefits 1} They send approx. 65 billion dollars of untaxed and uncirculated income back to Mexic0 every year 2} any money they pay into the system costs us double:free health care and education which half of our property taxes go to subsidize 3} jails are full of them and being subsidized by us 4) ID theft costs havoc 5) dont ever get into an accident with any of them -they will sue you immediately and they have no insurance when they"re at fault 6} unemplyment of us laborers causes higher taxes and income from being circulated her in US by US workers 7} If there is an ever an all out war',every one I asked if they would get citizenship and green card would refuse to be drafted and go back to Mexico
38
May 13, 2008 at 04:33 AM Matzahlocal101 Says:
To 8:18 PM,
>"Unions have nothing to do with what happened. Ganavus had everything to do with it. Reports are now coming out that there were CHILDREN working in the plant. Can we really call meat produced by children kosher?"
Thank you for the most absurd, foolish, inane, asinine, and downright stupid comment to date. Here I was thinking the rabbanim and shochtim were in charge of kashrus and you have informed me that it was "children" doing the shechitah, bedikah, traiboring, and handling shailos. Do you work for PETA or Mealmart?
39
May 13, 2008 at 07:03 AM Anonymous Says:
This is not directed specifically at Rubashkin or because they are a kosher plant -- a couple of weeks ago, the feds raided Pilgrim's Pride (biggest U.S. poultry processor, treife, of course) and arrested hundreds of illegals with phony documents, S-S numbers, etc) at five plants in four states. The meat-packing industry in general (kosher or otherwise) has to clean up its act.
40
May 13, 2008 at 09:52 AM anonymous Says:
The kosher business is a monolopy. It is most unfortunate that we are limited as to where and from whom we msut buy our kosher products. This RUbashkin is paying these illegals 2 dollars below the minimum wage, yet we pay exorbitant prices for chicken.
THAT IS FOWL PLAY.
41
May 13, 2008 at 09:59 AM Anonymous Says:
poor rubishcan
42
May 13, 2008 at 10:06 AM Anonymous Says:
where is a little AHAVES YISRUL here is a jewish man runing a bus. and having probles with a law from the goverment on paying low wages and jewish people are coming out on the internet to condem them like how about kosher // law pay // ilegal..did those jew loose there CHSKES KASHRUS
because they hired a man willingly wonts to work for 5.00 an hour /or dosent have a green card/ what did our father & mother do when they came to this country' we all know so what' give this people a chance to put bread and milk on there table what did the americans do with our jews when they where send back to be killed when they where here allredy in america and if you people are so loyel to our goverment may i see please your W2 form how you filled your taxes .......so how in the world could one jew come out in public ripping off another jew ????????? i got the awnser for you ''THATS WHY MASSHICH IS NOT HERE''
43
May 13, 2008 at 10:09 AM anonymous@vosizneias.com Says:
kol hayehudim arevim ze le ze
daven yiden, daven
44
May 13, 2008 at 10:36 AM Anonymous Says:
The suggestion for Rubashkin to move its operations to South America is the most sane comment made here. The Israeli Rabbinate as well as the Jerusalem Badatz certify meats from Uruguay, where the largest meat producing plants in the world are. Sadly, the citizens of Potsville, all of Rubashkin's present employees, the State of Iowa, as well as the IRS and the unions will sustain a great loss and Rubashkin as well as kosher consumers will gain.
The matter of kashrus is unrelated to social security numbers. If two observant Jews, presumably from Israel, were detained in this action, then what happens in Potsville affects us here in Crown Heights, Boro Park, and Monsey as well. Anyone that criticizes Rubashkin and employs an illegal alien lady to clean their homes for Pesach or all year round is a hypocrit. This is the way things are done here in the United States. Take it or leave it.
45
May 13, 2008 at 11:42 AM Anonymous Says:
I think that these ppl are making more than they would in Mexico. Bloomberg 'a conservative' said multiple times that you can not run an effective economy without employing the illegals. Would the US rather they move their operation south of the border. I believe that they have already begun a limited operation there.
46
May 13, 2008 at 12:56 PM Anonymous Says:
The Des Moines Register reported that the unions actually asked the government NOT to raid Rubashkins.
47
May 13, 2008 at 02:26 PM Anonymous Says:
I don't understand how the meat can be kosher if it is produced by illegal immigrants. There has to be something in the Talmud about this.
48
May 13, 2008 at 02:28 PM Anonymous Says:
Ship them out, and heavy fine to the Company for hiring known illegal Aliens.
49
May 13, 2008 at 02:48 PM Anonymous Says:
I wonder what will happen to the company, will they be penalized for hiring undocumented workers?
50
May 13, 2008 at 03:33 PM Anonymous Says:
I am appalled by the alleged treatment of the workers in this plant. In order for meat to be considered Kosher it has to be killed in a "humane" manner. The Torah has strict rules on how to process meat for it to be kosher. Too bad the plant did not treat their human employees with as much respect as the animals they were killing for food.
51
May 13, 2008 at 04:04 PM Anonymous Says:
I’m just wondering if there will ever be a point when they’ll lose their hekhsher for all of this.
52
May 13, 2008 at 05:03 PM David Says:
This whole thread is pitiful. But as a former resident of Postville and a first-hand spectator of the Plant (as it is affectionately known in town) I can assure you that the very constitution of the business is not really at fault here. Of course Rubashkin was never right for hiring these criminal elements--and every "law abiding" Spic who is here without proper papers is a criminal--but the price and labor profile and other considerations, against the backdrop of American indifference to this particalar law can easily be a source for excusing the poor judgment of the company's top officers. Therefore, despite my very outspoken abhorrence toward the horrible, illegal Spic population who impose themselves onus and those who hire them for the cheap labor, I pity Rubashkin and pray for their deliverance from this difficult situation.
The point is, and this is made very crystal clear in the accompanying video in this article, that it was not the notion of illegal workers that incensed the government; the fact that these horrible creatures took the liberty to build a meth lab on the premises--a fire hazard of the greatest proportions and a potential culprit for the total annihilation of the Plant--and act in their usual criminal manner regarding identity theft brought the whole thing down.
I want to point out here that the moser, the disgruntled schochet who had been fired and who’s referred to as “informant 1” (I have a suspicion I know who it is) must be identified and denounced all over the heimishe world like the star of the Shevach Meats saga, Moshe Finkel, because he’s no longer permitted to schecht in any kosher circumstance as he’s no longer kosher to be a witness or sofer (scribe) or any officer of the Judaic law. He’s to be excommunicated according to Rabbinical Law.
But the truth still remains that this had to happen sooner or later. These migrating animals from the bowels of this continent have wreaked havoc everywhere they’ve gone, and I can attest to the fact that the very town of Postville, a very old-world European town, with or without Rubashkin’s presence, had acquired a grotesque ghetto in the South-Western corner of it that was known to be almost as unsafe as Harlem in proportion: the Spic part of town.
In 2000 the corner of Lawler and Tilden, literally the center of town, was characteristically stamped with Spic blood when one killed the other as Yidden were going to Shul Friday night… I think the ICE raid has been overdue on the part of these despicable subhumans!
53
May 15, 2008 at 11:31 AM Juan Rodriguez Says:
I think they should hire all of you... lets say 5,6,7,.... who here works for 7 an hour???? Big Chutzpah my Tush! Deport the criminals, keep the hard workers here. and deport the Americans who sit around all day on their butts and leave comments everywhere....