Court Interpreter Breaks Confidentiality Code to Speak Out for Workers Rounded Up in Largest Immigration Raid in U.S. History
On May 12th, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 400 workers at a meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa in the largest immigration raid in US history. Many were sent to prison. We speak with Erik Camayd-Freixas, a professor and Spanish-language court interpreter who was flown into Iowa for the trial. He broke the code of confidentiality among legal interpreters to describe the workers’ predicament in what he calls “the saddest procession I have ever witnessed.” He says most of the workers were peasants from Guatemala and did not fully understand the criminal charges they were facing. He also says that court-appointed lawyers had little time to meet with the workers, many of whom ended up waiving their rights. [includes rush transcript]
Duration : 0:9:56
I would like to …
I would like to know how many managers or administrators, who hired and knew these workers were illegal, were arrested?
@MsAlikarules To be …
@MsAlikarules To be fair to the system, you are partly right, I think he/she should be considered a law violator, after all there are laws and rules in this country just as there are in many if not all countries on earth. I believe, however, the word “criminal” should be set aside for murderers, rapists, etc. you get my drift.
BULLSHIT!!!
IT IS …
BULLSHIT!!!
IT IS CRIMINAL to break our laws, ya disrespectful douchebag.
Illegals have repressed the wages of meat cutters by over 10 bucks an hour.
FUCK your self serving MIS-TRUTHS and LIES.
Take some god RESPONSIBILITY for YOUR actions YOU ARE BREAKING OUR LAWS, ya ignorant trespassing thieves.
Learn to accept …
Learn to accept ignoring the laws of the USA?
Of course, I never would say I and 30,000,000 English speaking US citizens, sail to China because that is where the work is, take 10%-20% of jobs, make them pay for our welfare, medical, incarceration, our transportation back, ignore their law, bring drugs and gangs in, and demand they learn English. IF they don’t like it, they are racist, or we are Native to the land, ignoring Geography and Genealogy.
In other words, off, ignorant scumbag.
If USA WAS UNDER …
If USA WAS UNDER MEXICO, OR ANY COUNTRY. LES SEE. MEXICO IS COMING BIG. YOU SEE
Being in US …
Being in US illigally doesn’t make anyone a criminal. don’t confuse immigration and criminal laws. I doubt you would want to work in a meat factory, and these people do it for pennies. If the market economy didn’t need them, they wouldn’t have had jobs and thus wouldn’t be here.
much harsher …
much harsher penalties than 6-7 months in prison, I understand that these peoples families will be without them for that amount of time but is that any different from the children who lose their parents to prison everyday & have to go into the system. I feel that their sentence was extremely fair & thoughtful. I love the compassion people show for this situation but let me ask, where is the compassion for your fellow americans who are in the same struggle? I speak as one who came from it!
alot of other …
alot of other countries, not just from mexico, to run back home after commiting a crime, its that simple. A mexican boy of 19 almost killed my dad & sis by driving drunk with no license or insurance & he ran back to mexico, no real jail time, no payout, yet my family had to deal with rebuilding our lives cause he had no insurance. This told people that deportation is no longer a get out of jail free card. Lets please be realistic, if I had done social security fraud & Identity theft, I would get
obviously have so …
obviously have so much free time in our own oh so perfect american dream living lives that we just sit around & plot on the poor illegal citizens who are breaking no laws & did absolutely nothing wrong, oh yes, that is exactly whats going on here. How could I have been so blind? (please note the sarcasm in that comment). Lastly that was a slap on the wrist just to make an example so that others will hesitate to make the same mistake because it has been a common theme for illegal citizens from
Ok, now please …
Ok, now please explain to me, how can you presume someone innocent when the evidence has already proved them to be guilty without a shadow of a doubt. If a cop pulls me over & I have an ounce or marijuana in my trunk, should I be presumed innocent? Honestly people, use some common sense, the proof is beyond a doubt so stop trying to make this situation sound worst than it is just to cater to your opinion of america being a bad place where everyone is out to get illegal citizens, because we
minimum wage & put …
minimum wage & put that in their own pockets, it did not go back to this economy. When I 1st heard about the shackles, I felt like it was too much as well but then it hit me, with over 200 people who are all flight risk, you would have to shackle them to contain them correctly. Criminals who are american citizens who are flight risk are also denied bail, why would a court give bail to someone who can run back to their country to escape the charges & then sneak back here under a new identity!
They were treated …
They were treated like criminals because they are criminals, doing it for the right reason doesn’t make it ok, how many people in these streets are selling drugs to take care of their families, no I’m not comapring selling drugs to working in a factory but the fact is that anything an illegal citizen does here is illegal, doing it for the right reasons doesn’t make it right. Also they were not used by America, they were used by employers who took what ever money they saved by paying them below
Look, I can …
Look, I can understand feeling sorry for these people who were arrested in Idaho, but I keep hearing alot of people complaining that they were mistreated by being treated like criminals, saying they were used by america. Complaining about every row of 10 people being shackled together & not having the right to bail, them not being presumed innocent & lastly complaining that they were given too harsh of a penalty.
Friday, 24 April …
Friday, 24 April 2009
Figures from the Department of Public Social Services show that children of
illegal aliens in Los Angeles County collected over $21 million in welfare
and over $22 million in food stamps in March 2009 — an increase of $1
million from the previous month, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor
Michael D. Antonovich’s office
Survival is suvival …
Survival is suvival. I chose (even in over-indulged America) not to have kids so I could have more opportunities. You make an arguement that no (Christian) could argue with. I just wish they would turn their energy into overthrowing the poeple in Mexico who are holding them down.
Lots of these …
Lots of these immigrants choose to walk miles risking their life just to make a living. I can see your point and I respect you opinion, but for one minute imagine your self not having food in your table and three of your children are crying for food. What would you do?. In America? a food stamp would partially solve the problem and a part time job would get you all set.
But, what if there is nothing? Would you just dye and let your kids dye along?
God bless you asuperstar
When you have to …
When you have to choose between feeding your family or dye in the street without money or food, what would you do? Must people go out rob a bank, sell drugs, etc.
I am for a valid …
I am for a valid work program that is enforceable.
I agree with you to …
I agree with you to a point. Yes, they have false papers and everything. However, look to the reason why they have to resort to getting false papers. Greencards are VERY expensive and VERY hard to get. The reason they are coming here is because they have no money, so greencards are out of the question right away. Our government needs to make work permits easier to get and I guarantee you the immigrants would get those instead of getting false papers.
why didnt you …
why didnt you report them? BEING HERE IS A CRIME!ever stop and think, we have american family we need help too, the homeless, single mothers, our brave fighting men, whose familys cant feed there kids, we need to take care of our own!
Great job INS. I …
Great job INS. I am in California, so I feel qualified to speak about immigration complaints. I will not dispute the fact that the residents might be nice people. They however are knowingly breaking our laws. They were not oblivious to the facts they were using fake identification. They deserve to face the consequences.
Maybe if you would …
Maybe if you would actually take the time to get to know these people of postville, you would realize that they are great people and just want to have a job to support their family. After all, don’t we all want that?? Yes, there are the bad apples, but every culture has them. In Postville, it just gets blown out of proportion when it happens to be immigrants. I have lived around Postville all my life and have made MANY friends with the immigrants. give them the respect that they deserve.
none of you must be …
none of you must be from postville. I am. I find that your comments prove you to be very ignorant on the whole situation. The immigrants in Postville for the most part know english (some dont even know how to write spanish let alone learn english), but most know english. The kids are in school and take english, US History, Government, and every other class required to graduate. They have assimilated into american society very well while still holding their home customs close.
Illegal immigration …
Illegal immigration underimines the rule of law. For decades, many immigrants have been entering this country legally. They take U.S. history classes, learn to speak english and eventually assimilate into american society. The people in Postville, entered into the country illegally, had “anchor babies” and cried foul when immigration laws were enforced. I’m tired of paying their medical, educational and food expenses.
break the law go to …
break the law go to jail .