Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice Faith-Labor Breakfast
Postville sitting in limbo
Postville sitting in limbo
their families.
Rev. Paul Ouderkirk, the retired pastor of St. Bridget and Raul Real, St. Bridget’s Hispanic lay pastor were instrumental in setting up the support systems for
the workers in the wake of the Agriprocessors raid. And as the “wheels of justice” continue to grind slowly on, they — along with members of other faith
communities — continue to give that support, which was at times overwhelming. “We are still receiving donations of money and materials for the families,”
Ouderkirk said. “As a matter of fact, they brought so many clothes, we are swamped. When we left, we had a hall full of clothes.”
Ouderkirk recalled an event that was held last Christmas. “A local group put on a special Christmas for the mothers of the detained children,” Ouderkirk said.
“And you should have seen the tables and tables full of toys for the children. It was just heartwarming to see how they were actually thinking about the children. It
brightened up the day of the children and the moms. The moms picked up the toys and wrapped them as if they had actually bought them and took them home.
It was a wonderful event.”
Circumstances remain very difficult for the families. They are in a state of limbo awaiting their fate. Ands many of them are still experiencing the ill-effects
of last May’s raid and the fear of what lies ahead. “The spirit of the workers has become a huge psychological problem,” Real said. “There’s a lot of trauma. We
have really lost a lot of ground in that respect. We’re in the process right now to see if we can figure out a way of offering some more counseling. It is really
needed badly.”
And while the families of the detained workers have been devastated economically and emotionally, the whole town is suffering. “The city is really in
financial straits,” Ouderkirk said. “It’s an economic depression. While they have been very slow to admit this themselves, they now know that without help — and
even with help — they are going to face a very difficult future.”
“We know it is hard economic times,” Real added. “But if you drive through Postville, you see real hard economic times. There’s a difference between
Postville and most other communities. A lot of businesses have been closed and a lot of them are on the verge of closing. It has hit them especially hard.”
Approximately 10 families have returned to Guatemala. The rest either can’t go back home or they want to stay so that their children can finish school. “We have
a family whose kids are basically all U.S. citizens,” Ouderkirk said. “And their dad is monitored. If they are deported, the kids are going to have to be deported
along with them to a country they never grew up in. It’s not their first language, English is. And they are losing everything. They are losing their house. They are
being torn away from their school and their schoolmates. It’s a most tragic situation. And the kids will live in dire poverty.”
And there is little chance that the family will ever be reunited again in the U.S. “Some of the children who are U.S. born children, their dads basically have
been barred from entering this country,” Real said. “That child can go back to Guatemala or Mexico and then return as an adult. If he would petition to bring
those parents back in, they would probably never be able to legally enter the country because of the charges that were brought against them.”
When asked what people could do for the detained workers and their families, Ouderkirk emphasized that people should work on immigration reform. “Lobby
your senators and representatives on the federal level to change the immigration law,” Ouderkirk emphasized. “The way it is operated now is unjust and immoral.
And if that is the best that you can do, every elected official should hang their head in shame. If they can’t do better than that, they shouldn’t be in office. We do
have some hope with the Obama administration although we still need people to call their representatives and their senators and say ‘Don’t let this go any
longer. It’s gone on long enough. Make it one of the top three priorities, which should be the war, economics and immigration.’”
Real emphasized that the families still need material support because they are barred from working and the ankle monitoring bracelets serve as a reminder
to businesses not to employ them. St. Bridget’s is still serving as the focal point of support for the families and it appears the need for that aid will not be over
soon. People can donate to the St. Bridget’s Hispanic Ministry Fund, P.O. Box 369, Postville, IA 52162.
Rev. Paul Ouderkirk, the retired pastor of St. Bridget and Raul Real, St. Bridget’s Hispanic lay pastor were instrumental in setting up the support systems for
the workers in the wake of the Agriprocessors raid. And as the “wheels of justice” continue to grind slowly on, they — along with members of other faith
communities — continue to give that support, which was at times overwhelming. “We are still receiving donations of money and materials for the families,”
Ouderkirk said. “As a matter of fact, they brought so many clothes, we are swamped. When we left, we had a hall full of clothes.”
Ouderkirk recalled an event that was held last Christmas. “A local group put on a special Christmas for the mothers of the detained children,” Ouderkirk said.
“And you should have seen the tables and tables full of toys for the children. It was just heartwarming to see how they were actually thinking about the children. It
brightened up the day of the children and the moms. The moms picked up the toys and wrapped them as if they had actually bought them and took them home.
It was a wonderful event.”
Circumstances remain very difficult for the families. They are in a state of limbo awaiting their fate. Ands many of them are still experiencing the ill-effects
of last May’s raid and the fear of what lies ahead. “The spirit of the workers has become a huge psychological problem,” Real said. “There’s a lot of trauma. We
have really lost a lot of ground in that respect. We’re in the process right now to see if we can figure out a way of offering some more counseling. It is really
needed badly.”
And while the families of the detained workers have been devastated economically and emotionally, the whole town is suffering. “The city is really in
financial straits,” Ouderkirk said. “It’s an economic depression. While they have been very slow to admit this themselves, they now know that without help — and
even with help — they are going to face a very difficult future.”
“We know it is hard economic times,” Real added. “But if you drive through Postville, you see real hard economic times. There’s a difference between
Postville and most other communities. A lot of businesses have been closed and a lot of them are on the verge of closing. It has hit them especially hard.”
Approximately 10 families have returned to Guatemala. The rest either can’t go back home or they want to stay so that their children can finish school. “We have
a family whose kids are basically all U.S. citizens,” Ouderkirk said. “And their dad is monitored. If they are deported, the kids are going to have to be deported
along with them to a country they never grew up in. It’s not their first language, English is. And they are losing everything. They are losing their house. They are
being torn away from their school and their schoolmates. It’s a most tragic situation. And the kids will live in dire poverty.”
And there is little chance that the family will ever be reunited again in the U.S. “Some of the children who are U.S. born children, their dads basically have
been barred from entering this country,” Real said. “That child can go back to Guatemala or Mexico and then return as an adult. If he would petition to bring
those parents back in, they would probably never be able to legally enter the country because of the charges that were brought against them.”
When asked what people could do for the detained workers and their families, Ouderkirk emphasized that people should work on immigration reform. “Lobby
your senators and representatives on the federal level to change the immigration law,” Ouderkirk emphasized. “The way it is operated now is unjust and immoral.
And if that is the best that you can do, every elected official should hang their head in shame. If they can’t do better than that, they shouldn’t be in office. We do
have some hope with the Obama administration although we still need people to call their representatives and their senators and say ‘Don’t let this go any
longer. It’s gone on long enough. Make it one of the top three priorities, which should be the war, economics and immigration.’”
Real emphasized that the families still need material support because they are barred from working and the ankle monitoring bracelets serve as a reminder
to businesses not to employ them. St. Bridget’s is still serving as the focal point of support for the families and it appears the need for that aid will not be over
soon. People can donate to the St. Bridget’s Hispanic Ministry Fund, P.O. Box 369, Postville, IA 52162.
Father Paul Ouderkirk (l) and Paul Real from St. Bridget’s
Catholic Church in Postville, Iowa spoke at St. Joseph
Catholic Church about the plight of the undocumented
workers in Postville.
Catholic Church in Postville, Iowa spoke at St. Joseph
Catholic Church about the plight of the undocumented
workers in Postville.
By Jonathan Gramling
In May 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided the Agriprocessors
meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa and detained 390 workers who did not have the proper
immigration or citizenship documentation. Approximately 320 of the workers were from
Guatemala with many of the others also from Latin America.
A national coalition of religious, labor and social justice groups came to Postville on July 27
to demonstrate their support for the detained workers. Approximately 1,400 people marched
through the city after an inter-denominational prayer service held at St. Bridget Catholic Church,
which served as the center of spiritual and material support for the workers and their families.
It devastated the town of 2,300 people as the remaining family members kept their children home
from school for fear that they would be taken. The Agriprocessors plant was closed down
temporarily, never regained full production and filed for bankruptcy last November. And the
detained workers — those who were freed to care for minor children — wear ankle monitoring
bracelets as they await their fate.
On February 10, the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice of South Central Wisconsin held its
annual Faith-Labor Breakfast at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Madison’s south side. Over 100
people from many faith communities as well as labor leaders gathered to hear some
representatives of the inter-denominational coalition that has given support to the workers and
In May 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided the Agriprocessors
meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa and detained 390 workers who did not have the proper
immigration or citizenship documentation. Approximately 320 of the workers were from
Guatemala with many of the others also from Latin America.
A national coalition of religious, labor and social justice groups came to Postville on July 27
to demonstrate their support for the detained workers. Approximately 1,400 people marched
through the city after an inter-denominational prayer service held at St. Bridget Catholic Church,
which served as the center of spiritual and material support for the workers and their families.
It devastated the town of 2,300 people as the remaining family members kept their children home
from school for fear that they would be taken. The Agriprocessors plant was closed down
temporarily, never regained full production and filed for bankruptcy last November. And the
detained workers — those who were freed to care for minor children — wear ankle monitoring
bracelets as they await their fate.
On February 10, the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice of South Central Wisconsin held its
annual Faith-Labor Breakfast at St. Joseph Catholic Church on Madison’s south side. Over 100
people from many faith communities as well as labor leaders gathered to hear some
representatives of the inter-denominational coalition that has given support to the workers and