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As we approach the seventh anniversary of the May 12, 2008, immigration raid that devastated the tiny northeast Iowa town of Postville, it is fortunate that the event was so effectively captured in an award-winning 2010 documentary, “AbUSed: The Postville Raid.”
The targets of the raid were mostly Guatemalan immigrants drawn to Postville to work in a Kosher meat-packing plant. Hundreds of armed agents, backed by helicopters, swept through the town arresting and busing 600 workers to a nearby fairground, where they were processed for deportation or sent to area prisons. Families were decimated. Hundreds of mothers and children sheltered in a small Catholic church as the crisis unfolded, attracting national and international attention.
The film, produced by Guatemalan film maker Luis Argueta, is available on DVD at a discounted price. It recounts the impact of the raid on individuals, families, the town and the national debate on immigration in the absence of comprehensive official reform. The documentary offers a comprehensive review of the many legal and humanitarian issues raised by an enforcement-only approach that continue to define U.S. immigration laws still awaiting Congressional action. The DVD tells a compelling story and has proved to be an effective educational resource for schools and churches.
We don't plug merchandise on NCR, but this documentary has been effectively used as a teaching tool, it seemed to make sense to note its availability.