The Associated Press reports: The Iowa attorney general’s office says investigators have executed a search warrant at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville, which was the site of a huge immigration raid in May.
The attorney general’s office said in a short statement that no one was arrested Friday when the northeast Iowa plant was searched. Officials wouldn’t comment on what investigators were looking for at the facility, which is the world’s largest kosher meatpacking plant.
On May 12, it was the site of one of the largest single-site immigration enforcement operations in U.S. history. Federal immigration agents arrested 389 workers during the raid.
Earlier this month, the Iowa Labor Commissioner’s Office said an investigation which spanned several months uncovered 57 cases of child labor law violations at the plant.
The Iowa attorney general’s office said it is serving as prosecutor at the request of the Allamakee attorney’s office. It’s role is “the enforcement of state laws in connection with investigations arising out of the May 12 activities at the Agriprocessors Postville facility,” the statement said.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa State Division of Labor are heading the investigation.
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12 Responses
… and the saga continues Agri needs to put an end to this circus inmplement and comply with local and federal regulations
lib001,
Your comment is a typical Liberal Orthodox bashing statement with no basis.
Why is this going on more? Have they not yet fixed the safety violations ans hired only legal workers?If not,why not ? Just because they are frum business people does not exemt them from obeying secular laws.Yated did a thorough story and we still cannot find out what is REALLY going on?What do people not understand about illegal immigrants/aliens,STEALING citizens’ID’s and S.S. numbers in order to get jobs? The bookkeepers who work in payroll must have known that something is wrong when the Social Security office sent them notices that the names and numbers do not match?Kosher meat is important,but just because the Shulchan Oruch teaches us how to shecht , another section also teaches how to do honest business and how to honestly report what is or isn’t happening.It’s time to perhaps have smaller local operations supervised by the Rabbonim of various kehillos.
Actually I am not Liberal nor was my comment bashing! I was wondering as I read the article why is there still interest in the meat processing plant. I would think after the “big raid” the company would start to comply with all the regulations not just some and correct the violations and bring the plant up to code!
This is causing a Chilul Ha-Shem each time Agri is mentioned in the press and I hold the same even if they are not at fault because they have to be doing something that is prompting visits!
#37
you said…
“its nearly impossible to assume that Rubashkin is blatantly guilty …”
and “Agri operates with MANY USDA inspectors on the lines.”
None of the charges brought against Agri in the press or by law enforcement are under the jurisdiction of the USDA. They are Labor Department and OSHA enforcement issues. OSHA inspectors cannot enter the plant without the permission of the owners. There have been times in the past when OSHA has had to get a Court Order before the owners would allow inspectors in the plant!
you said…
“In fact, if they shecht when a supervisor is not on the line, the meat is condemmed!”
So are you saying mashgichim need USDA permission to schect? Ridiculous. USDA inspectors need to be present but are rarely in the shechita area. The area around the Wienberg Pen at Agri is too cramped and crowded for an inspector to stand there all day long. Inspectors are usually present in the rendering area where the carcasses are inspected and cut-up.
you said …
“Its also silly to think that workers were abused on the lines, or totally untrained.”
Women were pulled off the line and into offices for “liasions.” There were credible reports that Rabbis yelled, threw meat at workers and even beat a worker with the back of a meat hook. One worker was accidently stabbed by his own knife when a Rabbi kicked him. This is not “silly.”
A meat pusher, who transfered sides of meat on the overhead rails, was taken off his job when the plant was short of workers and told to stand next to a guy who was cutting brisket. The meat pusher was given a knife and told to do what the next guy was doing. A really good training program don’t you think? The pusher ended up stabbing himself in the leg.
you said…
“making meth w/o people nearby knowing, is impossible–it stinks”
Who says people were nearby?
The meth lab was alledged to have operated at night, during the clean-up shift when no Rabbis, no USDA and no plant owners were on the premises. They use a lot of very strong smelling chemicals to clean the plant. So what if a couple of supervisors had extra people in the plant mixing chemicals? Who would know? It is not out of the realm of reality. Unfortunately, given everything else that went on at Agriprocessor’s it is all too possible.
you said…
“I could go on and on…”
Please do.
to #3 get off your high horse. on the advise of councel they are not saying anything so please be quiet. they are doing at the moment what there lawyers are telling them to do.
to #4 have you ever learned the laws of chilul ha-shem before you tell us all what these laws are. last i was told in america you are inocent untill proven guilty.
as to the raid from the state by The Iowa attorney general’s office take it with a grain of salt. they just don’t want to be late to the party. just like the micheal vick case were the feds nailed for the pitbull fighting and after he was senteced the state were this happened in , woke up and said lets do something because we don’t want to be seen as asleep at the switch.
EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD PLEASE REMEMBER IT IS CHODESH ELLUL AND BEFORE YOU POST STOP FOR A MINUTE AND THINK WHAT YOU ARE POSTING.
MY LATE MOTHER USED TO SAY ” JOEY THERE ARE THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY. A AND B AND THE TRUTH.
Search warrant executed? I thought they only killed the cows there
Lib001,
Why don’t you see that the business with Agriprocessors is an opportunity for all self serving publicity seekers to continue a witch hunt in order to show their own sterling virtue? This is especially so since it’s an opportunity for them to bash the Orthodox in the process.
Compare the reporting about the recent raid in Mississippi where the reporting was very sympathetic to the illegal immigrants and didn’t focus on the horrible crime of hiring illegals.
There is also the incitement of a labor union that wants to get its claws into Agriprocessors as well as the malicious and evil Peta slime.
The reason why there are still investigations being conducted is because nothing was found wrong in previous investigations except for some improperly stored extension cords and cleaning supplies, which Agriprocessors was fined thousands of dollars for. They refuse to let even Agriprocessors know what the 57 child labor violations they claim to have found are. They just keep doing more investigations until they find something to justify all of their criticism, which they never will.
#9
OSHA has supplied Agri with a complete list of 31 health and safety violations – this time. Not to mention the health ans safety violations previously given to the company.
The 57 child labor cases, each of which comprises multiple violations, is under investigation by the Attorney General’s office. Once an actual bill of charges is submitted to a court, Agri will know the charges. Then they will have an opportunity to explain why they couldn’t figure out what every bouncer at every bar in the country knows: how to tell a fake id from a real one.
Nate Lewin is representing Agriprocessors. He recently defended them against Obama’s scurrious comments about them. Nate is an ethical man and will not represent someone unless he believes they have a just cause. These attacks against Agriprocessors are the result of anti-Semites, anti-Chabad and PETA loonies all finding a new target for their venom.
As professional people, I don’t think that thay would be “witch-hunting” Agriprocessors with the knowledge that there is nothing going on. It would make them all look pretty stupid, therefore there must unfourtunately be some truth in any of the accusations that have been posted against the company. Having worked in this sector of a business it is nearly impossible to run everything “glatt”!!!!