U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted a raid Monday morning at Agriprocessors, Inc., in Postville, Iowa.
According to an ICE press release, the action was prompted by “evidence relating to aggravated identity theft, fraudulent use of Social Security numbers and other crimes, as well as a civil search warrant for people illegally in the United States.”
The Des Moines Register reports that Agriprocessors is the nation’s largest kosher meatpacking plant and that the raid may have resulted in as many as 700 arrests.
ICE said that everyone taken into custody will be interviewed by ICE agents and public health officials “to determine if they have health, caregiver, or other humanitarian concerns.”
“As a result of those interviews, over 40 individuals have so far been released on humanitarian grounds under supervision, pending future immigration proceedings,” the press release said.
