Raid leaves children behind

[rodeodance]

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=96245&ntpid=3

FRI., AUG 25, 2006 - 1:32 AM

Raid leaves children behind
CARLA MCCANN The Janesville Gazette

WHITEWATER - The 1-year-old boy wouldn't stop crying.

He wanted his mother, and he wasn't alone. The toddler is one of many in Whitewater's Hispanic community whose mothers left for work the morning of Aug. 8 and didn't return.

The women were among 25 illegal immigrants arrested by local and federal authorities at Star Packaging. The workers will be deported to Mexico, said Gail Montenegro, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman.

For the women's families, local church pastors and congregations have stepped forward to offer love and find homes for the children.

"All of the people arrested were hardworking and productive," said the Rev. Russ Walker, senior pastor of Whitewater Community Church. The immigrants were punished for going to work every day to support their families, he said.

[Kiouni]

1. wrong

this makes me sad, instead of saying mexicans should help mexico and all of that other rascist shit why can't the only world super power do some good?

[mike_c]

2. rounding up foreign nationals....

WTF has happened to America?

[silverweb]

3. This is just *so* wrong!

I am ashamed of what my government has become.

:cry:

[ninkasi]

4. Oh, this is wrong

How much will these children suffer because of this? I know people talk about solving the problem of illegal immigration, but reading stories like this puts a face on the ones who are feeling the pain of being separated from their families. There has to be some acceptable solution to this. Why does "globalization" only work in favor of corporations? If free trade agreements required a living wage, would that help? We certainly bend over back-wards to help big business, but what about the workers who create the wealth?

[Kailassa]

5. Strange, they took the kids too last time ...

I wonder where the latest deportees will end up?
I'd be careful about any new brands of organic soap on the market.

[fasttense]

6. This is so wrong.

Edited upon research of what happened to the owners of Star Packaging.

I found this:

"Allen L. Petrie, owner of Star Packaging, was taken into police custody for allegedly conspiring to commit misappropriation of identification and for being party to a crime of misappropriation of identification."

"From non-business dealings I am acquainted with the Al Petrie.

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

Whitewater police will ask the Walworth County district attorney to charge Petrie with party to conspiracy to commit misappropriation of identification, said Lt. Lisa Otterbacher, who is acting chief.

Petrie, 47, is accused of employing people without proper documentation, including Social Security numbers, that would allow them to live and work in the United States, Otterbacher said.

Otterbacher said Petrie's arrest came after "a number of meetings between the company owner and the investigators."She said Petrie was told many times that he couldn't employ illegal immigrants, but he didn't change his way of operating.

Evidently Mr. Petrie is not real good at taking a hint, eh?

UPDATE 3:

"In this country, an employer has the obligation under federal law to ask for identification, and that's it," attorney Frank Lettenberger said. "That's what this employer has been doing."

"There is an allegation that Mr. Petrie may be employing workers who are illegal aliens who are using false Social Security numbers to gain employment," Krueger said.

The Whitewater Police Department has contacted Petrie several times during an investigation that started in February, Lt. Lisa Otterbacher said.

Lettenberger found it peculiar that Whitewater Investigator Larry Meyer led the investigation into Star Packaging.

Meyer currently has an open civil suit in federal court filed by another Whitewater businessman, Steve D. Cvicker, owner of Whitewater Rock and Mulch.

The attorney's defense seems to rest on a combination of "My client is stupid AND the investigator is really nasty."

Otterbacher said Meyer and the Whitewater Police Department are not racial profiling, but are investigating cases of identity theft.

"Identity theft is one of the biggest rising crimes in the U.S.," Otterbacher said. "It's not germane to only immigrants."Assistant District Attorney Diane Donohoo believes Petrie knowingly hired people using fake IDs.

I've been involved in hiring decisions. This is not too hard to figure out. I think Krueger and Donohoo are going to have a lot of fun in what could be a landmark case for Wisconsin, if not for the US."

http://dad29.blogspot.com/2006/08/ice-hits-whitewaters-star-packaging-3.html

I'm not sure how good this source is but I've seen him posted here before.