U.S. lease of Waterloo fairgrounds raises questions

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/NEWS10/805060374/-1/NEWS04


Federal officials have imposed a news blackout at the National Cattle Congress fairgrounds in Waterloo, where they have leased almost the entire property through May 25.

Tim Counts, a Midwest spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, declined to say Monday whether an immigration raid is pending that would use the fairgrounds as a detention center.

-snip-

"We expect that at some point there will be additional information available, but I can't speculate at what point that might be," Counts said.

In December 2006, ICE conducted an immigration raid at the Swift & Co. meatpacking plant in Marshalltown. Many workers were transported to Camp Dodge in Johnston, where military barracks were used as temporary detention facilities. A total of 1,282 Swift workers were arrested in Iowa and five other states in the biggest crackdown in history on immigration violations at one company.

The Waterloo Courier on Sunday reported that contractors have installed generators adjacent to many buildings at the fairgrounds.

In addition, windows on many buildings have been covered up, blocking views inside. A number of mobile-home-size trailers have been transported to the privately owned grounds.

Doug Miller, general manager of the Cattle Congress, declined Monday to release a copy of his group's rental contract with U.S. General Services Administration. He also indicated he was in the dark about what's happening inside the fairgrounds.

-snip-

"Folks have resigned themselves that something terrible is going to happen between now and the election. It is more like a resignation that something is going to happen," Villareal said.
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and there you have it

That followed up on it. Basically, yes, it's part of a nation wide disaster/terror exercise being held by the feds. However, the article interviews different local business owners who are concerned that, one, govt officials aren't even privy to what's really going on with this drill, and two, many Latinos in the area aren't even leaving their houses they're so scared of a round up. Whether these two seemingly separate issues are merging together in this drill - which ostensibly isn't centered around immigration matters - is anyone's guess.

nt

I'm about 45 min away from Waterloo.

For some reason. Probably the cattle and the quarantine. Different kind of aliens.

"Folks have resigned themselves that something terrible is going to happen between now and the election"

will be busted for employing illegals.

Sorta like when TX busted Shipley's Donuts (YUM!) 2 weeks ago. Shipley's competes head to head with Dunkin' D's -- a Carlyle Group-owned company.

Coincidence? No such thang no more.

bully, bribe, blackmail, threaten, murder

have to add 'raid' to the list

they will all have to be US Citizens.

Hiring of foreign serfs for stoop labor is unacceptable.

Largest ever immigration raid in Iowa at a single site

Posted: May 12, 2008 11:27 AM EDT

WATERLOO (KWWL) -- Immigration agents have arrested 300 people in Postville at Agriprocessors. According to Bruce Braley's office, ICE officials told them as many as 600-700 people could be arrested during the raid.

The investigation started last October. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday issued criminal search warrants for aggravated identify theft and fraudulent Social Security numbers.

Agency spokesman Tim Counts says that civil search warrants also were issued for illegal immigrants, and agents and medical professionals are evaluating those who have been arrested.

Agriprocessors is the world's largest kosher meatpacking plant.

More at link:

http://www.kwwl.com/global/story.asp?s=8310026