Day Two - At the National Cattle Congress

Tuesday morning, we arrived at 9am at the Cattle Congress, to meet up with the immigration lawyers to assist with the initial consultations with the detainees. There we sat until 10:30 just inside the gate, as ICE was trying to figure out what to do with us. Our team consisted of 16 individuals – six immigration lawyers and ten others who were there for assisting in interpreting and filling out legal paperwork. My brother-in-law's sister and I were the only ones present who had never been involved with anything like this before – most of the others work closely with immigrants and immigration policy on a daily basis, and were just amazing people all around. So, we felt a little out of place, but we survived and a lot of learning took place.

The first part of our morning was spent filling out the legal paperwork for the attorneys, but after that, things were quite slow. We were just waiting around for the ICE officials to let us begin seeing the clients. The attorney for ICE was in and out of our trailer several times that morning, and at one point had told the lead immigration attorney that the detainees were already being interrogated inside, trying to get them to confess and incriminate themselves, without the chance to be represented. The immigration lawyers were pretty agitated that the rights of the detainees to have access to their lawyers prior to the questioning had been denied.

One woman that was also present as an interpreter, came back from a bathroom break, looking rather shocked, and on the verge of tears. While she was exiting the building, the guards instructed her to stop moving, as she had to wait for a group of detainees to be marched in. They walked in with handcuffs and shackles on their feet - hands and feet chained together. All of the men were chained to one another. Looks of terror, despair, fear, and confusion on their faces.

At 2:30 in the afternoon, the lead attorney that we were working with told us the investigation had taken an unexpected turn, and that the detainees were now being turned over to the feds, as they were being charged for federal crimes (identity theft), and they were no longer being charged for immigration violations. The immigration lawyers were not going to be given access to the detainees, so we packed up and headed home. As we were leaving, the FBI was heading into the hall that had been set up for questioning, located just across from the trailer we had been working out of all morning.

During the time we were there that morning, not once did I see a detainee myself. It was easier emotionally for me this way I suppose - as I didn't have to actually see the faces of those fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands and wives, who are ready to lose everything. However, I woke up that morning with a drive inside me to do some good - to be able to be the voice for these people who at that moment were voiceless, and we ended up not being able to do anything. We met some amazing people that day, who have fought for the rights of immigrants for years. When we arrived that morning, they were going over with us the questions we should ask the detainees - things about how they've been treated, any medical issues they have, how they came to the states, if anybody helped them - if they had to pay somebody money to bring them across the border, and if they were still paying off that debt.

The attorneys and others present explained to us that there were many signs pointing to illegal human trafficking that had been going on - the fact that this plant used to be mainly Mexican, and within the past 3-4 years, the population of workers changed drastically, and that the plant's workforce was now 67% Guatemalan. We were told that obviously these changes happen - but for it to happen that rapidly just wasn't natural. Generally it would take much longer for the workforce to turn over like that.

We were also informed of several other worker's rights violations at the plant, and that they were employing under aged worker (ages 13-17 year olds).

So, at this point, 390 immigrants have been detained, and the plant continues to run. How you ask? The day after the raid, bus loads of other workers were driven in from Nebraska and New York (I found today online - http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008805180309 - that the Agriprocessors plant in NY has had previous experience with undocumented workers, as they employed them until the workers tried to join a workers union. The plant then turned over lists of the undocumented workers names to the government, and fired all of the workers.) fishy?

Day One : The Day of the Raid

On the afternoon of Monday, May 12, my sister received an email from the Peace and Justice Center of the Cedar Valley, with information of an immigration raid that had taken place earlier that morning in Postville, Iowa, just about an hour and a half drive from her home in Waterloo. The raid took place at Agriprocessors, Inc., the nation’s largest kosher meat-packing plant. It stated that around 300 undocumented workers had been detained, and that they were all to be transferred to the National Cattle Congress (NCC) in Waterloo, and that Catholic Charities was looking for assistance from bilingual Spanish speakers, to assist with their initial consultation with immigration lawyers. So, my brother-in-law’s sister (who also speaks Spanish) and I (we both just happened to be in town visiting our siblings) decided to give them a call to see if we could be of any assistance. We were told to go to the NCC in the morning, and that we would meet up with the lawyers there, to help with the initial interviews, and filling out paperwork, etc.

Our Monday afternoon was spent watching news reports, and reading internet news articles, trying to figure out exactly what had taken place. Turns out that there were arrest warrants for 697 undocumented workers of the plant, and that only 390 of them (40% of employees of the plant - 314 men and 76 women) had been detained, leaving another 300 workers unaccounted for. The video we saw on the evening news was quite disturbing – in all honesty, the footage we saw looked like it had been shot at a concentration camp. Lines of hundreds of people, handcuffed, shackled, and chained together, marching together, heads hanging low in despair. It was quite the scene.

Monday afternoon, all of the detainees were transferred to the NCC, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had set up a temporary detention center, where these people were to be kept for at least four days. Monday night, a prayer vigil was scheduled to take place outside the gates of the NCC, so the two of us went, along with my sister and one of her friends. In the end, there was no candlelight vigil that actually took place – it was more of a protest than anything. However, we were standing outside the gates when the large buses from Homeland Security pulled in, bringing in who knows how many more detainees. It really was quite an emotional time – tears were shed by some of those present, others shouting and waving signs, showing their support for those being detained.

While all of this is going on in Waterloo, family members and friends back in Postville, of those taken away were scrambling in fear and confusion. Many went into hiding, in fear of being taken themselves. Many of the members of this small community of 2000 something residents, would not come out of their homes. The ones that did would only go as far as St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, where camp was being set up, to help take care of the basic needs of these people, and to provide a safe haven for them.

Families have been torn apart - children left without their parents. Wives without their husbands and husbands swiped away from their wives. Brothers, sisters and friends separated. Families will be without income this week and for weeks to come...no way to put food on the table. No way to pay for rent and utilities. If you're able to help in any way (no matter what your take is on immigration - there are hundreds of families in dire need of help), monetary donations are badly needed, and are being accepted at those programs I mentioned on my first post of the raid.

Immigration Raid – 390 People Detained in Postville, Iowa

Before I get too detailed on how this all went down, I just wanted to give a brief intro. I plan to put up several different posts about this – so keep checking back if you’re into it.

After seeing and experiencing so much of this myself, knowing that there was nothing major that I was going to be able to do personally to help these people, I knew that my role in this tragedy would be to share those experiences with others who haven’t been present through it all. It is one thing to hear about this on the news – but it’s a whole different deal when it’s all happening right in your backyard, and you’re caught up in the middle of it. It became apparent to me that our role in sharing this story was so important, after watching the nightly national news, and never seeing even a short story about it. The story of these people needs to be shared – change needs to take place in immigration law, or people will continue to be forced to come into our country illegally, as they sometimes have no other option to survive. If no action is taken, these raids will continue to happen, and families will continue to be torn apart. If these stories aren’t shared, the rest of the nation will not be able to see how urgent the need is for policy change. Please help in sharing their stories…

If there's anybody interested in giving monetary assistance, checks and cash may be mailed to any of the following. They will get the money to the families affected in Postville. The money will help with basic personal items, food and bills.

Veridian Credit Union
P.O. Box 6000
Waterloo, IA 50701

If making a donation via credit card, please call

1-800-235-3228

*** Please include Account Number for the Postville fund when sending either form of payment to Veridian Credit Union. The account number-- 5830490

Saint Bridget's Hispanic Ministry (Catholic Church in Postville that was home to these families for the entire week)

Att'n. Paul Real
PO BOX 369
Postville, IA. 52162

El Centro's LatinoAmericano
500 E. 4th Street, Suite 321
Waterloo, Iowa 50703
319-287-6400
elcentrola@yahoo.com

Good bye Rancho, Hello Iowa

Well, after pleas for me to update my blog site so you all no longer have to see my ugly feet every time you log in, I've decided to finally make time to do it.

So much to say...life has been busy but wonderful this last month. I traveled to Mexico for the NPH International Board Meeting in Feb, where we had medical team meetings all week long. Lots of developing goals for us this year, and trying to figure out how we can achieve them. Also spent a fair amount of time planning our NPH international medical workshop, which will take place in El Salvador in April.

A week after returning from Mexico, I took one of our kids to Guatemala for a medical consult in the city. It was fun getting to take him to see another NPH home (we stayed in the clinic at NPH Guatemala). We were in Guatemala city 2 days, once for his consult, and then another time we went in with some kids from their home that go in weekly for a photography workshop. We also spent a day in Antigua. The week got to be a little long by the end...I've never spend every waking moment with a 13 yr old boy before. Wow, that can be draining!! But we loved it, and hope to be able to go again sometime to visit our family at NPH Guate. (photo above is of some friends we made at the home in guatemala)

This past week and a half, the new executive director of medical services for NPHI, aka my boss, has been here in Honduras, meeting the people and visiting our clinics. It was great having her here before I left...we were constantly on the go (between working with her, and taking care of my last minute things in the clinic) which was draining, but man we got a lot of work done!


Last weekend we had my going away party with kids I've been working with this year. Love them all to pieces.

So, now, it's time to pack My flight leaves Teguc at 5:20pm tomorrow, March 16th. I will only be home until April 1st, when I come back to Honduras for a week or so, with the brigade doctors to go to Olanchito to do some planning for the brigade in June. I then will be in El Salvador for a little over a month. Will be back state side in late May (but tine, don't worry...i'll be back in plenty of time for your party!!!).

K, gotta run.
love to all!
can't wait to see you all.
annie

my ugly famous feet

In the beginning of december, a few of us volunteers took off to the beach with several young adults (13 years - 17 years), as part of a photo project. We went with the goal of taking some great photos of the gaurifuna villages, and the life on the beach, to put into a photo exhibition that was planned for January, in the national art gallery in Tegucigalpa.

So, one of the kids was taking photos of my feet as i was walking along the coast (we all know how excited i am about feet...so it was painful for me to let him do it, but you know, i'd do anything for him...).

I show up at the art exhibition, and look across the hallway...and there you have it. A massive photo of my feet. Embarrassing to have my ugly feet on display in the national art gallery? yes.

Several days later, we were reading the national newspaper of honduras, and there they are again!! I mean, seriously, out of all the beautiful photos the kids took, they choose that photo to put in the paper? A beautiful article, just minus the photo. (see above) that's also me (the larger of them all) walking along the beach, on the right side of the article.

A couple days later, I get an email leading me to the following website.

http://www.heraldohn.com/nota.php?nid=91735&sec=8&fecha=2008-01-12

saying good bye

Friday afternoon, one of our special needs girls passed away in Hospital Escuela. She had been admitted a couple days before, for aspiration pneumonia. The sad truth of the public hospital, is that she didn’t receive treatment until her second day in the hospital. By that time, it was too late. Please keep Doris, her caregivers, friends and family in your prayers.

A couple months ago, a good friend of mine, an interno, brought his father to the Ranch to receive medical care (he lives in San Marcos de Colon, located on the border of Nicaragua). He has been here on and off this whole year, for GI problems. When he arrived this time, we were finally able to get him into the hospital to do some tests, after which he was diagnosed with cancer, already in the advanced stages. He’s stayed here since then, to receive care from our clinics, as the doctors attempted to get his pain and discomfort under control.

His dying wish was to be able to pass away peacefully in his own home, back in San Marcos. These past couple weeks have been pretty rough on him, and he was commenting on his desires to go home, because he was feeling so badly.

The doctors decided that there wasn’t much else they could do for him here, so we arranged transport from NPH to bring him home. So, Saturday I took a trip to with several great friends of mine… this man and his two sons, and three others…to bring him home. He was so happy to be able to go home to be with his family there, and to be in the comfort of his own home. It was difficult leaving him there, and having to say good bye, knowing that’s the last time I’ll be able to see him. His sons are having difficulties adjusting to his fairly new diagnosis, especially now that he is going to be so far away (a five hour drive from here). They stayed there with him, but shortly will have to return to classes here in Tegucigalpa. How difficult for them to have to leave him there…please keep them all in your prayers as well.

what the future has in store...

Well friends, my time here in Honduras is coming to an end. I was scheduled to take off with the volunteer group that leaves February 9, however, I have decided to stay until the end of February/early March, to wrap up a few things, and to help train in the nurse that will be taking over the care for our HIV positive kids.

I have just accepted a position with NPH International (NPHI), working with their medical team. It’s actually two part-time jobs. On Feb 1, I begin (officially) working as the medical coordinator for the medical team. This job pretty much just consists of being in charge of communication with the international medical team and the NPH clinics. I am also going to be helping to organize the annual NPHI medical workshop, which will take place in Abril, most likely in El Salvador.

The other half of the job is working as a “regional medical coordinator”, which is working directly with the clinics of Honduras and El Salvador, on things such as disease prevention (working a lot with vaccine programs), rational use of medication, health education, education for the local nurses, ect. This job begins the first of March. With this job, I’ll be traveling to the two homes for a total of four months out of the year. For the remaining part of the year, I’ll be working from home (wherever that may be in the States…).

This second job is a brand new position, just developed by the medical team, so it’s still in the developmental stages. I’m excited about the opportunity to continue my work with NPHI, while still being able to be home with family and friends for the majority of the year.