400 ARRESTED IN FEDERAL IMMIGRATION RAID

Nearly 400 people were arrested in a federal immigration raid at a meatpacking plant in northeast Iowa on May 12. Federal officials called it the largest raid of its kind in U.S. history. Archbishop Jerome Hanus of the Archdiocese of Dubuque issued the following statement.

The actions taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Postville on May 12 highlight once again the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Families have been disrupted; parents and children are filled with fear. Many are uncertain whether their loved ones will be arrested, imprisoned indefinitely, or deported. This state of terror for families is evidence that our political system has not adequately addressed the demand for labor, the inadequacies of our present immigration policies and practices, and the broader economic challenges. Some of the weakest members among us are bearing the brunt of the suffering, while legislators and other leaders, as well as many of us in the general public, have failed to give this issue the priority that it deserves. To read more http://www.arch.pvt.k12.ia.us/Administration/Personnel/archpagemain.html