Hundreds arrested in raid at Iowa meatpacking plant

Y'know, a couple of high-profile stories like this could have a disproportionately large effect on illegal immigrants:

POSTVILLE, Iowa — Federal immigration agents in northeastern Iowa have arrested at least 300 people in a raid on the world’s largest kosher meatpacking plant.

U.S. Attorney Matt M. Dummermuth says the raid on the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville is the largest operation of its kind in Iowa history and followed months of planning.

...The raid was aimed at seeking evidence of identity theft, stolen Social Security numbers and for people who are in the country illegally, said Tim Counts, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman.

The story doesn't detail the charges against those 300+ people, but it alludes to it pretty good.

I found this interesting:

Sister Mary McCauley, a Roman Catholic nun at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Postville, said family members of plant workers came to the nearby church in tears.

“The people right now are hearing and seeing the helicopters,” McCauley said Monday morning. “They are just panic-stricken and very frightened and some of them are coming to the church as a safe haven.“

Sanctuary! Sanctuary! It's not at all clear that the authorities were coming after anyone who wasn't at the plant, but would taking refuge in a church protect them?