Church Becomes Sanctuary after Raid

By Josh Hinkle, Reporter

Hundreds of people have sought refuge at the St. Bridget's Catholic Church on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, in Postville from Monday's immigration raid at Agriprocessors. (Photo by Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

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By Becky Ogann

Story Created: May 14, 2008 at 5:02 PM CDT

Story Updated: May 14, 2008 at 6:22 PM CDT

POSTVILLE - Officials at a Postville Catholic church say hundreds of people are hiding out there in fear of further police action.

The church has definitely become a sanctuary for Postville's Hispanic population. More than 200 people were still there on Wednesday. Many of them are staying overnight because they're afraid to go home.

They know what happened to their family members who worked at Agriprocessors when ICE raided the plant. Now they fear detention or deportation too.

Many here are living here illegally in the U.S. and most that TV9 spoke with don't speak English. Many here also just need food because the bread winner in their family might be locked up at this time.

Church officials and volunteers have stepped in to temporarily fill that void.

"The community is being broken up, families are being broken up. Small children are left alone. Where a mother is left with 2 or 3 little children and the bread winner, who they expected to come home on Monday, left in the morning in the same fashion they left everyday, and they're not coming home, they're just panic stricken," said Sister Mary McCauley, St. Bridget's Catholic Church.

I.C.E. conditionally released 3 women who are now living here because there was no one to take care of their children and one of them is pregnant. You can tell who they are by the electronic tracking devices on their ankles.

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