Vol. 71/No. 11      March 19, 2007

The majority of the workers grabbed were temporary laborers. Forty-four are from Mexico, four from Guatemala, and three from El Salvador.

The two targeted warehouses are used to store imported goods. According the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, ICE agents said they consider such warehouses critical buildings—like airports and military bases—because workers with access to these sites are vulnerable to exploitation by “terrorists” and other criminals.

“When individuals use fraudulent or false documents to gain employment, they hide their true identity and history,” said Michael McCool, deputy special agent in charge of the Seattle ICE office of investigations. “Those false identities pose a potential threat to the nation’s commercial infrastructure,” he stated.

At a news conference the day after the raid, immigrant rights activists and local religious leaders said they would launch a program to offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants fleeing such raids.

A February 25 meeting at the St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Auburn appealed for assistance for those still jailed in Tacoma. Dianne Aid, who works with the Jubilee Center at the church, said the church is organizing donations of goods and money for legal aid for the imprisoned workers.

Among those attending the gathering was Erica, one of the workers arrested at the UPS warehouse. Her last name is not being disclosed to protect her from further victimization by the government. Erica unloaded trucks at the facility and had been working there for 20 months. She described what happened as ICE agents rounded up the workers and took them in closed vans to Tacoma. Erica also commented on the inhuman conditions at the facility, including the inadequate meals. Those arrested had been told that those who have children would be released on their own recognizance. However, ICE agents did not believe Erica when she explained she had two children, a two-year-old and a four-month-old. Erica was released a week later in response to pressure from community organizations. Her court hearing is scheduled for March 3.

“What happened was not right,” Erica said. “We come here to work. We are not criminals.”

Also attending the meeting were members of the Committee for General Amnesty and Social Justice. Its representatives announced they are planning an action in Seattle May 1 to demand “Stop the ICE Raids! Stop the Deportations!”

Meeting participants donated $700 to help the arrested workers and their families.
 
 
Related articles:
New Jersey protest slams ‘migra’ fee hike
Conference in Connecticut protests raids by immigration, demands release of those arrested workers  
 
 
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