Filmmakers document consequences of U.S. immigration raid

Back in May 2008, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials rounded up 389 undocumented workers in the Agriprocessors Inc. kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa. The raid was the largest in U.S history.

Two weeks later, filmmakers Jennifer Szymaszek and Greg Brosnan started filming "In the Shadow of the Raid," a documentary film showing at the Morelia International Film Festival in Mexico. A 15-minute edit of the film was recently broadcast on PBS "Frontline's" website.

"In the Shadow of the Raid" delves into the consequences of the ICE raid for Postville and for some of the the migrants who were arrested and deported back to their homes in two rural villages in Guatemala.

Following the closure of the meatpacking plant, Postville businesses failed and livelihoods were destroyed.

In Guatemala, migrant Willian Toj returned to his wife and parents. Awaiting him was a massive debt that he accrued from his trip to the U.S. He had been working in the Postville plant for 20 minutes before the ICE raid.

Toj can barely earn enough to pay the monthly interest on the $7,000 debt, let alone get the funds to treat his mother's worsening cancer.

The tone of the documentary is observational rather than preachy, in the same vein as other recent works such as "Los Que Se Quedan / Those Who Remain." The filmmakers try to reflect some of the realities that contribute to why so many Central Americans and Mexicans head to the United States. But there are no ICE officials interviewed, no legal redresses sought. Brosnan and Szymaszek focus on the people affected by the raid, and the resulting film is a photographic testament to a sad reality.

Watch the video for more.

-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City.

Video: An interview with Jennifer Szymaszek and Greg Brosnan, directors of "In the Shadow of the Raid." All non-interview material courtesy of Szymaszek and Brosnan. Video interview by Deborah Bonello.

Comments

[Sam]

I understand americans that don't want illegals in their country. The only ones I blame is my country "The Government of Mexico" for not taking care of it's hard working people. I hope that some day all the illegals go back to their country and have a decent life, so that the citizens can have the jobs the illegals once had and could ask for a legal pay wage. I try to understand the comments of US citizens that feel disgusted about immigrants, think about been in their shoes for once. Try not to judge and understand why they do it for, they travel long distances for hope.

[Bobby]

How about making a documentary about Americans that lost their jobs due to illegal immigration, got inferior health care due to too many illegals in emergency rooms, and whose children got sub-standard education due to the children of illegals crowding the classrooms in my home state of California?

[D. Wilson]

Randy L., what's wrong with you?

Comparing immigrants to animals and calling them weak for trying to break out of poverty, is disgusting, period, regardless of one's views on the situation. If you can't think rationally then stay out of this debate.

[John]

The Border Guard is investigating a number of possible cases of arranging illegal immigration in the Kymenlaakso and Loviisa areas of south-eastern Finland. Officials suspect restaurateurs of bringing in illegal workers from abroad on several occasions.

The restaurant owners are suspected of arranging cheap labour for themselves in this manner over a period of several years.

The restaurants in question are foreign-owned and represent the low end of the price spectrum, says Lt. Jan Sundell of the Border Guard, who is heading the investigation.

He declined to say which countries the cheap labourers come from.

As part of the probe, the Border Guard, Kymenlaakso Police and tax authorities made joint raids on several restaurants in the Kotka and Hamina areas on Wednesday.

Last spring, they carried out searches of homes in Loviisa and Porvoo based on similar suspicions.

[John]

Brazilian striker Wanderson do Carmo has been netting goals for Swedish football clubGais without a residence permit.

The football authorities are now considering whether to penalize the club while the Migration Board (Migrationsverket) has reported Wanderson to the police over the issue.

”It’s a routine measure. It is a crime to work in Sweden in without a permit," Johan Rahm at the board told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

[John]

Finland turned back a record number of people seeking refuge in Finland during the first half of this year. Finland is using the Dublin accord to accelerate its asylum procedure. Under the EU agreement, Finland is able to deport refugees that have applied for asylum in other member states.

By the end of June, Finland had deported 1,100 asylum seekers, which is equal to the number of people that were deported during all of last year.

This year has seen an explosive growth in the number of asylum seekers entering Finland. A third of refugees arriving in Finland have sought asylum in other EU states. Officials say unfounded asylum applications are clogging the system and rack up costs.

“At this point we support all measures that save costs and resources,” says Sirkku Päivärinne, Immigration Director at the Interior Ministry.

According to the accord, the first state that processes an asylum application is the only country where an application can be made. The Dublin agreement rules out the possibility for people to seek asylum in multiple European countries.

" In Greece it’s nearly impossible for refugees to apply for asylum,” says Kirsi Hytinantti, a lawyer at the Finnish Refugee Advice Centre.

YLE

[kadafi]

The highest number of people on any form of assistance from the government are caucasian. Im sure the bank's that failed were run or owned by caucasian's . If i am wrong i stand corrected.Does illegal immigration put a burden on the system without a thought, but these people put more money in it than they receive. Lastly i am a proud American, that is also proud that my ancestors killed many Americans. Go figure.

SemperFi

[B S Kumar]

One of the posts here contains - "Our forefathers did not fight and die for you to infest our cities, streets, schools, hospitals and anywhere else. The did it for people who understand obeying the law, following the law."

What law were your forefathers following when huge numbers of native Americans were slaughtered and their land snatched by force and violence?

[JSA26]

I have to say there has been much more rational discussion in these comments than most of what I've seen on the topic of Illegal Immigration.

My only addition is that I do not believe fencing and Border Patrols should be our only line against illegal border crossing and temporary visa abuse. Projects like workplace enforcement through audits, use of eVerify with adequate time to correct errors and yes deportation of most people caught here illegally.

The US accepts more legal immigrants than any other country. If more immigrants helps our country or provides humanitarian services we should increase the legal quotas not accept uncontrolled illegal entry.

[allam]

this people education, the government don´t care enough.

[NoJobs]

I was once naive too. Ah, the simplicity of youth! Unfortunately, we all have to face reality at some point, and it usually comes with age and wisdom. We can't afford them, folks. We can't take care of our own, and we'll never be any good for others until we can take care of ourselves first. Time to focus on Americans first. We have too many unemployed, homeless, broke, desperate Americans. It's so easy to pretend they're not here until it happens to someone in your own family. It happened to mine, and it hurts...real bad. Whose helping us? No one. And the state is cutting programs that for the first time, our family actually needs. The only way we're ever going to be able to help those less fortunate is by ensuring our own stability first. Illegal immigrants and their huge families have drained us dry. We can't keep it up and survive. I want my tax dollars back. They were supposed to ensure that services would be there for Americans. Instead we give double-digit billions each year, in CA, for free, to illegals for their CA born offspring, who abuse us, and then send money to their home countries, instead of pumping it back into our society. It only works if the money stays here, buys medical insurance, auto insurance, food, housing, etc. It's doomed to fail, big time. Does anyone care about Americans anymore?

[Prioritize please]

It never ceases to amaze me how many people don't understand that we (each and every one of us American taxpayers) have to support each and every one of our illegal immigrants and their children. The total it costs us, the NET amount, which takes into account all taxes/monies collected from them, is averaged at $20,000 per year, per individual. This does not include costs such as education, or a plethora of hidden taxes, increased medical and auto insurance premiums (we pay additionally in the form of higher premiums to cover the costs of the growing non-insured). Hidden taxes/surcharges etc. are everywhere (look at your utility/phone bills for a sample). It goes on and on, subsidized housing, medical, food, eighteen years of Welfare for US born children of illegal parents (citizens only get 5 years of Welfare), etc. They average four children per couple, and those US born children are not counted in the costs reported for illegals because the children, born here, are citizens (the costs are hidden in this respect - like 18 years of Welfare). At minimum, an illegal immigrant family (2 parents, 4 children) costs us $120,000 a year, on average, to support.

How many more unemployed Americans will we have this time next year if we continue allowing illegals to further flood us, and how much more money will we have to cough up by continuing to support illegals and their expanding families? We've cut services to our citizens who are disabled, elderly, unemployed, etc. because we're broke. This shouldn't have happened and is a direct result of increasing poverty. So, for those of you who feel all mushy gushy about supporting the rest of the world, remember that you're turning your backs on your fellow unemployed Americans, those who've lost everything - their jobs, their homes, their insurance, and can't feed their families. Some are living in their cars. Their numbers are growing daily, they need your help, and they're asking you why you've betrayed them. We can't take care of others until we can take care of ourselves.

[Tony]

Blame the corrupt government of their country for not putting the best interests of the populace in front of their own greed. Blame the US government for enabling businesses here to lower the standard of our workplace to that of third world countries in enabling a lower than living wage only a moron would accept. It's all about the greed at the top. Don't portray it as if it's our fault these people have somehow suffered because of what happened through nobody's fault but their own.

[Er]

7 billion inhabitants in this planet and growing. Approximately 100 million new comers are added per year according to National Geographic statistics - Human suffering is inevitable.

Under-develop countries are the biggest contributors of human misery. People KEEP HAVING children with no chance for a future. It is mostly not out of love or family planning; but out of the need to have as many children to take care of them (the parents) in the future. Now, that is the real cruelty.

In many cases most of those children grow up with resentment (The have nots) and are the same faces full of hate that we see on the television news. Chanting slogans against Western Civilization - against the Infidels - against our way of life.

In some cases some of those same undocumented people living amongst us use our democratic principles make demands. Like Aztalan Unido a Mexican separatist movement that want to take back the western territories or the fanatical Muslim extremist that preach hatred against the West.

So what can be done about that? As long as religion is in the mix "NOT MUCH"

[Jim]

Consequences! As parents most of us ask what are the consequences to my family, mychildren if I do something? Get drunk. Divorce. Quit a job.Move.Scream and yell at my kids.
As American citizens we need to ask what are the consequences of deportations, and raids on these small towns.
I believe that the League of woman voters has a rational response:"In achieving overall policy goals, the League supports a system for unauthorized immigrants already in the country to earn legal status, including citizenship, by paying taxes, learning English, studying civics and meeting other relevant criteria. While policy reforms, including a path to legal status, remain unachieved, the League does not support deporting unauthorized immigrants who have no history of criminal activity. "
The league's overall Immigration Position can be read
http://www.lwv.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=LWVUSImmigrationStudy&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=11032

[Randy L. AZ Resident]

And none of their lives would be worse if they stayed home in the first place.

It is not the responsibility of America to take in every peon that feels they have a right to be here, they don't. Especially if they sneak in like rats in the darkness.

These people only come for money. Stay home and fix your respective countries. Your weakness in coming here is disgusting. Our forefathers did not fight and die for you to infest our cities, streets, schools, hospitals and anywhere else. The did it for people who understand obeying the law, following the law.

Yes, we do own this part of the world. Some of us die every day keeping it that way, people like you only want to destroy all we've built.
I am indigenous to this land, I was born here. It is mine and ours.

If you come illegaly, may your life be mired in misery, shame and poverty. Go home. Can't come legally, don't bother coming.

[Manuel]

It is unfortunate that it takes illegal migration from Latin America for a person to try to survive. The "man" has always taken what does not belong to him. Yes, Native Americans are the entitled ones. However, the US once belonged to the Natives. As the saying goes, "what goes around comes around". The "man" will someday be the one to be deported, as he will be the minority.

[John]

How wonderful it would be if California farms that use subsidized water where nature did not anticipate farms were to pay real wages and pay the real (and prohibitive cost) of water. The unrealistic farms would fold up and the Mexican workers could make a living working on Mexican farms and not feel compelled to uproot themselves from their homeland. Their dream is NOT to leave home and become peon laborers in the US. Mexico could earn foreign exchange sending food to the US. Mexicans would prefer that. Why would Americans not prefer that, too?

[John]

Carbon footprint explodes due to immigration......
The nation’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached a record of 37.9 million in 2007. Immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents, the highest level in 80 years. In 1970 it was one in 21; in 1980 it was one in 16; and in 1990 it was one in 13. Illegal aliens account for an estimated 11.3 million of the total, or almost one in three foreign born residents. Since 2000, 10.3 million immigrants have arrived — the highest seven-year period of immigration in U.S. history. More than half of post-2000 arrivals (5.6 million) are estimated to be illegal aliens.
If immigration continues at current levels, the nation’s population will increase from 301 million today to 468 million in 2060 — a 167 million (56 percent) increase. Immigrants plus their descendents will account for 105 million (63 percent) of the increase. Net immigration has been increasing for five decades; if immigration continues to increase, it will add more than the projected 105 million that will be added if immigration levels stay the same.

[John]

13% unemployment among Hispanics
RATE: 1
Email
American businesses have shed 6.9 million jobs in the past 20 months (the length of the current economic depression). During this same time period, American businesses have imported 2.4 million workers. While American workers are feeling the pinch, American businesses have not been forced to hire American workers. Clearly, the Congress has been protecting American businesses instead of American workers.

According to the New York Times, some Americans are feeling the pinch more than others: "...unemployment is on the rise, jumping from 9.4% in July to 9.7% in August. For several demographic groups, the unemployment rate is already in double digits, including men (10.1%), Hispanics (13%), African-Americans (15.1%) and teenagers (25.5%). In all, 14.9 million workers are now jobless, of which fully one-third have been out of work for more than six months, the highest level of long-term unemployment by far in any post World War II recession."

And 8 million illegal aliens hold American jobs.

[John]

The U.S. Census Bureau states that if immigration remains basically unchanged the U.S. population will grow by about 50% by the year 2050.
Applied proportionately to California, that means the current 37-million population will expand by another 18 million to 55 million (with no end in sight)!
The growth is being caused almost entirely by new immigrants and by births to the 10 million immigrants already living in California.
This is a state that doesn't have enough water to meet the daily needs of 37 million people and of its agricultural industry and of its natural inhabitants and ecological systems.

[John]

I am glad President Obama pointed out that America needs to create 150,000 new jobs each month simply to employ those Americans entering the work force. With this in mind why is the Congress allowing businesses to import 125,000 new foreign workers each month?

The President is right, the United States needs to create 150,000 jobs each month to keep pace with out own skyrocketing population. According to the President we are only creating 50,000 jobs each month. This means that we are creating 100,000 too few jobs each month. That means we are looking at a jobs deficit of 1.2 million over the next year (if the economy keeps improving).

Why then does the United States continue to issue 125,000 foreign worker permits each month and 35,000 green cards to foreign workers? This adds up to 160,000 foreign workers per month. Why are we allowing 160,000 foreign workers each month to compete against unemployed Americans when we are facing a monthly jobs deficit of 100,000?

[John]

We need more such raids. Such raids are an integral part of the justice system in the great Nordic democracies. They do not allow illegal immigration and do not grant citizenship to babies born there unless one parent is a citizen

[Wandagb]

And a counterpoint video that sums up the problem confronting this country:

"Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent." - Adam Smith, economist and ethicist

Everything you need to know about immigration and what to do about it humorously told.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBw1nUlf38I

(Roy Beck and NumbersUSA are the "gumball" heroes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7WJeqxuOfQ

[Tara]

A recent poll take in Mexico revealed that 1 out of 3 Mexicans would come to the U.S. if they could. That's 35 million people. All you immigrant advocates out there: do you have room in your own house for them?