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| Immigration raids empty New Bedford fish plants |
| 2005-12-07 |
| EFL: A waterfront sweep by the US Coast Guard and immigration authorities that resulted in the arrest of 13 men has sent panic through New Bedford's large immigrant community, causing workers at seafood processing plants to stay away from their jobs. When workers at the AML International fish processing plant arrived for their shifts at 7 a.m. Monday, officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement were waiting for them. Eight of the men, who could not provide identification, were handcuffed and loaded into a van. Officers arrested five more men at other plants. After the arrests, cellphones all over the waterfront started ringing, and fish cutters and packers from Central America, who make up the bulk of the workforce at the city's fish processing plants, fled the squat seafood warehouses. ''It didn't take long with the cellphones," said Frank Ferreira, plant manager at AML International. ''The whole city emptied out, all the plants. ''People were just leaving because they didn't want to get in trouble," Ferreira said. ''Even the legal ones left. Nobody knew what was going on. It looked like an invasion." Business owners and immigrants in New Bedford are still reeling from the arrests. Only six of AML's 40 workers showed up yesterday to cut the day's catch of monkfish, skate wings, and dogfish. And many in the city were wondering whether the raid marked a new crackdown in this period of intense national debate over immigration. ''This is going to start happening more often," said Helena Marques, executive director of the Immigrants' Assistance Center in New Bedford. ''It's only a matter of time. People are getting picked up, and then you'll see a lot of people going underground." The men arrested -- seven from Guatemala, three from El Salvador, two from México, and one from Honduras -- were taken into custody because they did not have legal immigration documents. Ten were released pending a hearing before an immigration judge, said Paula Grenier, an immigration and customs spokeswoman. Two Salvadorans, Jorge Merino Flores and Nelson Palacios Martines, were being held at the Suffolk County jail because a judge had previously ordered them deported. Another man, whose name Grenier would not release, is being held because authorities suspect him of being connected to the international gang MS-13. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 And how much did they fine the processing plant for employing illegals -- yeah, thought so. |
| Posted by: DMFD 2005-12-07 22:33 |
| #8 A waterfront sweep by the US Coast Guard and immigration authorities that resulted in the arrest of 13 men has sent panic through New Bedford's large immigrant community, causing workers at seafood processing plants to stay away from their jobs. Wait a few weeks, then sweep it again. Repeat until the illegals in the area vamoose to some other locale. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-12-07 14:38 |
| #7 authorities suspect him of being connected to the international gang MS-13. The real reason for the raid. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-12-07 14:13 |
| #6 "So I take it after doing their time in the plants, the Portugese immigrants all became stockbrokers and brain surgeons," Right, tu. When in RI I worked with several 2nd gen Portuguese from the area who are software engineers. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2005-12-07 14:00 |
| #5 New Beffa used to be a big Portugese town. So I take it after doing their time in the plants, the Portugese immigrants all became stockbrokers and brain surgeons, thus opening up these positions for our Latin American friends? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-12-07 13:47 |
| #4 "The men arrested -- seven from Guatemala, three from El Salvador, two from México, and one from Honduras -- were taken into custody because they did not have legal immigration documents." I'm all for rounding up and deporting illegals, but what about the employers? You can't tell me they didn't know. They should arrest the "Johns" with the "hookers". And if legals won't do that nasty work for $6.75/hr, then pay more. That's how free markets work. |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2005-12-07 13:42 |
| #3 Oh Christ...whatever was I thinking? The US economy might shut down if we don't get our cheap fish-sticks. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2005-12-07 13:14 |
| #2 "They're saying these people are taking jobs from other people, but no Americans want this," Mr. Ferreira said. "They're chasing people who make $6.75 an hour." Let me get this straight. Some would call me a racist xenophobe because I believe in strict enforcement of our existing immigration laws. And I'm somehow less then compassionate to suggest that the "Better Life" line is nothing more then a BS excuse to get votes and cheap labor. But hey...I can get the same temp job at $6.75 an hour...right? All I have to sign on for is fourteen hours a day, up to my knees in fish guts, in horrible working conditions with no healthcare. And if I keep my head down and mouth shut I might get a promotion to breaking my back hand-loading a freezer-truck and maybe get an extra buck. Yeah...that's real compassionate you disingenuous whores. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2005-12-07 12:24 |
| #1 Ten were released pending a hearing before an immigration judge, said Paula Grenier, an immigration and customs spokeswoman. No 'white space' on your hearing calendar judge? No problem, these will undoubtedly be no-shows. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2005-12-07 10:27 |