11/15/08
 Dr. Erik Camayd-Freixas, Interpreter and Witness, Testimony before Congress
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On May 12, 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted what at the time was hailed as the largest single site immigration raid in U.S. history at the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa. After a nearly one-year investigation into Agriprocessors, approximately 500 ICE agents moved on Postville at 10:00 a.m. outfitted with machine guns and in full combat gear. Helicopters circled overhead while ICE agents entered the meatpacking plant with warrants for 607 undocumented workers.
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Yesmi is on the Left and Chely is on the right. Their children are American citizens and the certificates they are holding are for completing a semester of ESL classes.
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Yesmi and Chely were both detained in the raid. Yesmi was released with an ankle bracelet (shown on the ankle of the other woman in the picture) Chely was taken to Hardin County Jail and sentenced to immediate deportation (It was actually several weeks before she was deported). Chely's children (she has 2) were left in the care of their father, Juve. Juve's brother's wife was also detained and so the two men were left to care for 7 children.
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The day the second photo was taken Yesmi told me she was worried about Chely's children because when she had spoken with Juve the night before he was drunk and depressed. 8 days after the raid and the night before her hearing Chely's son suffered a seizure. I think I wrote about that in my epilogue. Chely was eventually deported and it was more than a month and a call to the Mexican consulate by me before her children joined her back in Mexico. I don't know what has happened to Yesmi but as recently as a month ago many of the women released for humanitarian reasons had not had their hearings which means they are left with no way to work or support their children.
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