AGGRAVATION FOR AGRIPROCESSORS

Agriprocessors, the large Iowa meatpacking company that was the site of a massive work site raid in May, has been fined $10,000,000, the largest penalty ever levied against an American company for immigration-related violations.

And ICE announced yesterday that one of the company's human resource managers has plead guilty to harboring illegal aliens and aggravated identity theft.

[UPDATE: Sholom Rubashkin, the former CEO and VP of Agriprocessors has been arrested.]

For those who think we don't enforce the laws, talk to folks at this company.

Comments

[Greg Siskind]

Agriprocessors represents about 50% of the market share for Kosher meat and poultry. So use some common sense.

Incidentally, I'm a firm believer in work site enforcement as part of immigration policy. But there has to be a legal way to bring in people legally when employers can document that lack of available US workers. When there is not, we end up with the situation where employers across the country have four very difficult choices:

1. pay dramatically more to workers to get them to leave other employers and then pass the costs on to consumers and make it even more difficult for average Americans to feed their families

2. pay dramatically more to workers to get them to leave other employers and then absorb the increased costs and hope you can still make a profit and continue to operate the plant

3. close the plant and outsource operations to the third world

4. risk criminal and civil sanctions and break the law

None are acceptable options for most employers and will all contribute to economic instability.

I say, have E-Verify, no-match, work site raids, etc. etc. But make sure employers are offered a legal way to bring in necessary workers. Employers who still bypass the rules won't get my sympathy.

[Commenter]

Is the "pretty massive price increase" in Kosher products directly attributable to the Agriprocessors worksite enforcement action? How much of the alleged price increase does your data suggest is a result of pricing being restored to market levels because of current employer compliance with wage laws? Generally, should the decision to enforce the immigration laws against a company employing hundreds of illegal aliens, violating child labor laws, assisting in identity theft, etc., be influenced at all by a possible marginal increase in the price of the employer's product? I suspect you believe the answer is "yes."

Most importantly, price increase or no price increase, do you believe that Agriprocessors was in fact violating the law and that it was thus appropriate for ICE to take action against the company? I suspect you will not answer this question, as support for any worksite enforcement action is contrary to the AILA party line.

[Alix]

SWEEEET!!! Wow we are going to be dependent on outside sources for food as well.

Manufacturing to China, Services to India and food processing to Mexico and South America. But hey, at least all is legal and kosher (pun intended)

-Alix

[George Chell]

On a slightly different topic, the evidence here is clear: pander to white skin worshippers like the constituents of Tancredo, Blackburn, Westmoreland, Corey Stewart, Deal and Musgrave, instead of trying to unite Christians of different colors with similar values, this is what will happen...

http://egpnews.com/?p=3079

[George Chell]

"Actually, there has been a pretty massive price increase in Kosher products and much of the meat is now being imported from South America."

The same thing is happening in some seafood off the coast of Maryland according to some local news. I am buying my salmon in a grocery store which imports it from Argentina. Actually price has fallen slightly for that imported product.

[Greg Siskind]

Actually, there has been a pretty massive price increase in Kosher products and much of the meat is now being imported from South America. I'm not going to answer your comments anymore, however, unless you use a handle or user name. You can remain anonymous, but on the comments section of this blog, we request that you post under a first name or nick name.

But do you believe that Agriprocessors was in fact violating the law and that it was thus appropriate for ICE to take action against the company?

Also, on May 14 you stated on this blog, regarding the Agriprocessors worksite action that, "[w]hether DHS realizes it or not, this will have an immediate and substantial impact on the country's Jewish community. The plant is in Iowa, but the meat is shipped to Jewish communities across the country. Kosher meat is already considerably more expensive than regular meat and this will no doubt lead to an immediate shortage and substantial increase in prices." See http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/2008/05/ice-raids-natio.html. Did the action at this one plant in fact, as you feared, lead to an "immediate shortage" and "substantial increase in prices"?