http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1992/tum-bio.html
http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/menchu.html
http://www.worldtrek.org/odyssey/latinamerica/rigoberta/rigoberta_story.html
During her visit there was a day-long program at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Postville including a time to share stories, a communal meal, a ecumenical church service, and a march to Agriprocessors. At the beginning Menchú stood up and told of the people of Postville that they were the brothers and sisters of the people in the Guatemala and that people in Guatemala knew what had happened to them and cared about them. However, she did not take very much time and seemed to be more interested in hearing the testimonies of the people affected by the raid. Here are my notes of what they said to Menchú and many others who were there to listen. I originally wrote them in bullet point format, so they are not necessarily fluidly connected. However, they are very detailed and I think they will give you a good picture of how the raid has affected the lives of real people. I will not use names because I have not asked permission to do so.
Testimony of a woman:
- When the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) people came she tried to hide and the ICE officials beat her.
-She said, "I wanted to speak to the president."
- Donations to Postville are slowing down.
-They want Menchú to talk to Obama because all they want to do is work.
- They have trouble paying their bills.
-They want Menchú to be their voice.
-They don't want to ask for charity.
- She's frustrated that she can't send money to her husband.
- They want a future instead of being poor farmers.
- They want Menchú to be the mediator.
(My additional comments: In Guatemala many people were poor farmers who did not have a market because of trade agreements with the U.S. (NAFTA and CAFTA) which flooded Latin American markets with American goods that were cheaper than the Latin Americans goods. Therefore the Guatemalans and Mexicans could not sell their goods for the price it took to produce them and could not make money. This is why they want to come here to work.)
Testimony of a single mother:
- Women and children are getting psychological help.
- Children don't understand the bracelets.
- The bracelets hurt.
- They feel ashamed of the bracelets.
- She wanted a better life for her children.
-They detained her son for 4 nights and 4 days.
- During her testimony, many of the women showed Menchú their electronic shackles (bracelets).
- When they charge them it burns and if they don't the immigration officer calls them.
-People in the food pantry tell them that the food is not for Mexicans or Guatemalans –just Americans.
- People look at them like criminals when they see the bracelets.
- This makes them not want to wear skirts.
- Someone in Decorah told her husband that maybe a woman with an ankle
bracelet killed someone.
- People sent donations with the people affected by the raid in mind and yet people are treating them badly when they benefit from donations.
(My additional comments: Bracelets are tracking devices that are strapped on to many people's ankles in Postville. They were put on many mothers so that they could return to Postville to take care of their children. They were also put on some men who are being kept in the Decorah/Postville area to possibly serve as witnesses in a case against their employer, Agriprocessors. The tracking devices are about the size of a small walkie-talkie and are attached to the ankle with a thick strap. They must be plugged into an outlet for 2 hours a day to charge, which is very restrictive. They heat up when they are being charged, which can be painful. In my opinion, these tracking devices promote the view of immigrants as criminals, which is not a very realistic picture.)
Testimony of a minor (16-year-old) who was detained:
- He was questioned and he answered but they didn't believe him.
- They put paper bracelets on him that meant different things.
- They put him in a bus all day long until they took him to Waterloo.
- They were shackled with one chain around their arms, legs and waist, but it was a short chain, so they couldn't really walk.
- When they got there, they took their shackles off.
- Then they had to take off their clothes except for one shirt and they turned the temperature down to the lowest setting.
- Then they interrogated them again.
-They were fingerprinted and photographed.
- They checked his background and then told him that he would be released.
- But even though they told him he would be released, that didn't happen.
- They told him that if his aunt didn't come to pick him up, he would be put in jail.
- He got contradictory answers. His aunt told him over the phone that they had told her that they wouldn't let him out. But he told her that he was told that if she didn't come pick him up, he wouldn't be released.
- They told him that he would be released but that he still needed to go to court.
-He had to sign papers that he didn't understand.
Testimony of a boy whose mother was arrested and deported:
-His mother was afraid to say that she had children, so she was detained.
- It "scarred his heart".
- When the teachers told the kids at school what happened, it was like when the black people had to be separated from the whites.
- The school was in chaos.
- When his dad got there, he told him to get in the car fast so that the helicopters wouldn't see them.
- His dad said they had to hide in the basement for a week, and they could only leave for food and the bathroom.
- His mom was in jail in Georgia with murderers and thieves. This made him cry.
- He said, "God helped me get through this and talk to you people."
Testimony of a man who was held in jail for 5 months:
-He was sent to different jails, isolated sometimes, and didn't know about his family.
- There were rumors about ICE coming, but people though it would be on the 13th of May, not the 12th.
- 15 minutes later immigration arrived.
- He wanted to run but there were helicopters surrounding the area.
- Everyone was trying to run and he went to the 2nd floor and tried to hide for several hours.
-They found him in the afternoon and asked them if they had weapons.
- He got the paper bracelets.
- He was taken on the last bus to Waterloo.
- They took them to the fairgrounds in Waterloo, where they usually show the cattle.
- There were beds there for them, but the ICE people interrogated them and didn't let them sleep.
- They ICE operatives had a party to celebrate the success of the raid.
- It was traumatic to be in jail.
- They were told that they would have a hearing and would find out what the charge against them would be.
- He couldn't communicate with his family.
- The day they were taken to court, they wore shackles from 6am- 9pm.
- It was hard to eat and drink.
- They were given a 5 month sentence.
- He was really worried about his family.
- After 3 weeks, his wife and child visited him. He was said because he tried to reach for his child but he couldn't because there was a glass wall in between.
- He thanked God that he could see them.
- He felt worse after because he knew he wasn't going to see them for a long time.
- He stayed there for 1.5 months.
- Then they told him he would be transferred and he was taken to Madison.
- They took him to a high-security cell.
- He had to have all his meals in these cells by himself- this was true of people in isoation even when they needed medicine. He stayed there for 15 days, but it felt like an eternity.
- He was told he would be transferred and taken to Kansas City and when he got there , he was strip-searched again.
- They stayed in a conference room because they did not have enough cells.
- He was there for 3 months with 2 criminals and his only crime was being a hardworking man.
- When there was 2 weeks left his lawyer called and told him he would be able to choose to either return to Postville with a work permit, or stay in jail until the government needed him.
- He chose the work permit so he could find out about his family.
- There was really bad food in jail – potatoes for every meal.
- Then he was taken to Dubuque and then to Cedar Rapids for another
court hearing but he and the other men did not know if they would be released or not.
- They were released, but they are still not completely free because they have the ankle bracelets.
- They were asked to sign papers that they didn't understand.
-The immigration officials made jokes about them.
- They had to eat with shackles.
- They had to wear the same clothes over and over.
- He was in four jails and each time he was searched like a criminal again.
- He said, "Since when has trying to feed you're family become a crime."
- They didn't understand when the people explained the papers they were told to sign.
- They were charged with identity theft.
- They were not told about the identity theft until later.
- They were supposed to be charged by immigration law but it was changed to identity theft, which is a criminal charge.
Others notes stated at the end of the presentation:
- Immigration lawyers were not allowed into court.
- They didn't have the option of having a lawyer provided to them if couldn't afford it.
- These people were already exploited by Agriprocessors before the raid.
- They hid minors, and the minors worked with dangerous equipment and were injured.
- They worked 14 hours a day.
- It was really dirty and there was bad working conditions.
- Women were exploited and sexually harassed, and asked for sexual favors.
- If it's a crime to work without papers the crimes of the company must also be considered.
- The company knew they were using fake papers and when an inspector
was coming the employers asked workers to get new papers.
- None of the owners of the plant have been charged.
- The person from Agriprocessors did not spend one night in prison- That's what money does in the wrong hands.
These are the words of the people of Postville. They are shocking and revealing and most importantly they are true.
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