Marshalltown Can Empathize With Postville

By: Steve Nicoles, Reporter

Marshalltown, Iowa, residents watch near the main gate of the Swift & Company plant during a raid by ICE officers Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006. Federal agents raided meat processing plants in six states Tuesday and arrested an unknown number of suspected illegal immigrants in an identity theft investigation, temporarily suspending operations at all six plants. Photo by Ryan, Brinks/AP.

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By Steve Nicoles

Story Created: May 13, 2008 at 5:45 PM CST

Story Updated: May 13, 2008 at 6:08 PM CST

MARSHALLTOWN - The raid in Postville is the largest single-site raid in the country. But it is not the first in Iowa. In 2006 Marshalltown went through the same process as Postville.

It was a typical Wednesday in Marshalltown. But Tuesday's news of an immigration raid in Postville brought up bad memories. In December 2006 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took about 100 undocumented workers from their families. Marshalltown was one of six towns with a Swift and Company meat packing plant raided by ICE. But it has been a year and a half. Marshalltown Mayor Gene Beach said, "The town has bounced back really well. Swift is back to full production."

The mayor cannot say for sure if Swift hired more undocumented workers. But the prevailing sense in the community is that immigrants are here illegally. Beach said, "I'm certain there are undocumented workers."

Watching families driven out of town on buses is hard for any community. If Marshalltown can offer anything to Postville it is that it is been a year and a half and the community is moving forward again.
Chamber of Commerce President Ken Anderson said, "Things today are much more stable and I think we've moved past the that event."

But word of other raids quickly flashes Marshalltown back to 2006.

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