It usually takes a few days for details about large immigration raids to come out. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement quickly sends out press releases announcing the number of individuals arrested and their supposed charges, but it seems the real stories behind these operations are not revealed until families, social services, and legal aid providers start talking to the men and women who have been arrested.

On Wednesday, ICE raided five Pilgrims Pride poultry plants in five states as part of what it says has been over a year-long investigation into identity theft. The Dallas Morning News reported today that most of the men and women arrested have not been charged with any crime:

The tally of those arrested at Pilgrim's Pride poultry plants on various immigration-related offenses climbed Thursday to 311.

Workers at Pilgrim's Pride, one of the world's largest poultry processors, have been the target of a criminal investigation into identity theft for at least a year, and Wednesday, workers employed at five plants, including Mount Pleasant operations, were arrested by federal immigration agents.

 

Certain workers at the Mount Pleasant plant are believed to be key organizers in an identity theft ring, federal prosecutors and agents said.

 

False use of an authentic Social Security number is a felony – and growing in prevalence among illegal immigrants searching for ways to avoid detection.

 

But the tally, released Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, showed that slightly less than a third of the arrested workers had been charged with criminal violations. Federal officials said Wednesday that charges could be made more severe.

 

The remaining Pilgrim's Pride employees are being processed for removal from the U.S., on administrative violations of immigration law.

 

All 46 workers arrested in Mount Pleasant faced criminal charges. But Thursday afternoon, two workers were released and motions to dismiss the criminal indictments were dropped, said Arnold Spencer, a U.S. assistant attorney involved in the investigation. In one case, one worker was a legal permanent resident; Mr. Spencer would not comment on the immigration status or citizenship of the second worker.

The Dallas Morning News indicates the raids went beyond the poulty plants:

A Chapel Hill district employee visited the home of at least one student who did not report to school and found nobody home. A neighbor indicated that federal agents had been to the home.

Meanwhile, schools in the effected areas were left to deal with the traumatized students whose parents had been arrested or who were terrified that agents would come after their family next.

"We had one whose daddy was taken last night and one whose mother was taken," she said. "They were pretty much hysterical."

 

Ms. Walley said she heard students crying in the bathroom on her morning rounds through the hallway.

 

Some students were worried that immigration agents would pick up students at the school. Parents called the district to make sure their children were OK.

In Chattanooga Times Free Press in Tennessee reported that residents' fear was palpable Wednesday as word spread about the raids in that community, and that many businesses locked their doors for the day. Many organized quickly to help the kids who they knew would be left behind.

The Hispanic community has come together to ensure that children whose parents are arrested are safe, even if it means feeding many new mouths on an already tight budget, said Mike Feely, executive director of the St. Andrew’s Center, a resource for Chattanooga’s multi-cultural communities. (Thanks to Immigration Talk With a Mexican American for the link.)

We know that raids hurt children. And too often ICE's claims that the raids get dangerous criminals off the street turn out  to be  false. How  many  more  will  happen  before Americans can convince our government to STOP THE RAIDS?