"We don't really know what's happening" yet "It's totally horrible."

Right.

You're not going to tell me you support this gestapo-like crackdown are you, Aaron?

I'm curious to know exactly how shitty ICE's undercover operations are considering that rumors of a sting had been around for a few days beforehand... (on myspace bulletins, even!)

Aaron, I think what he means is that they don't know what's happening to the workers now that they've been loaded onto a bus and shipped off. Paramo may not know all the specifics of "what's happening," but the basic story--that a massive immigration workplace immigration raid just happened in Portland, without the cooperation of local officials, and that families have now been split up--is enough for him to conclude that it's "totally horrible."

There's a bigger article on the Oregonian blog about it.

"Bustamantes, according to the ICE search warrant affidavit, directed the informant to fill out his application, but leave the parts blank that listed a Social Security number or a permanent resident alien number. The American Staffing Resources workers helped him complete the forms using a fake Social Security number, according to the affidavit."

If the allegations against American Staffing Resources are true (essentially identity theft) I can pretty much support that. Throwing all the workers in jail, especially if they weren't the ones intentionally committing identity theft, is a whole different deal, though.

The mayor agrees with you:"I certainly understand why federal officials executed criminal warrants against three individuals who stole and sold Social Security numbers. But to go after local workers who are here to support their families while filling the demands of local businesses for their labor is bad policy."

http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/2007/06/potter_attacks_immigration_rai.php

oh, yeah, my RSS reader hadn't gotten there yet, thanks.

While I think that it is sad that families may be split up, the fault is not the immigration officers who are enforcing the law, it is both those who decided to be here illegally and thus knowingly run the risk of being caught and deported, and the laws themselves. In the end, those here illegally are themselves to blame, despite any hardships that have led them into coming to the US to begin with.

Now that most of the employees of Del Monte are in ICE custody in Tacoma, tweakers all over far east Portland and west Gresham are celebrating - more jobs, and what's better, jobs that allow them to play with sharp knives after being up tweaking for 48 hours straight!

If you see any blood in your fruit plate, it's good old American tweaker blood, yes sir ree!

Matt, can I touch your face?

Clearly you're only human, AJ. People ask me that all the time.

Matt: I am impressed that you made your ID public.Humpy should take you out for breakfast tomorrow for that effort.Good work.

whoa,
does this mean we cant ship you back bulk rate now?

Follow slippery peels of your banana republicans. Protect your honorable ICE employees who actually upheld their oath of office to protect our Constitution.
Google ALL connects of Marvin Bush and Jeb Bush to Fresh Del Monte. The strange low bidder sale in Mexico, bribe accusations, and the Palestinian bid winner. Marvin on the board. Stocks. Jeb pushing favorable "trade" factors. The South Florida plant. Dead Campesinos, child labor, chemical spray on workers, CIA government overthrows in "banana republics." AWWW, those boys just don't know how to pick honest friends and business partners.
Pineapple lies in Hawaii and change in plans once the lawsuit mysteriously went Del Monte's way. Division re-alignements and re-sales. And now a layer of outsourced employment hiring must insulate them with plausible deniability?
Kinda strange that Colombia wants to extradite Chiquita execs. who paid terrorists, accidentally had terrorist arms on their docks, had someone hide big drugs in their banana shipments to Europe. But, "Big Joe" Hagin, a W. brush clearing buddy and former vice president and spokesperson of Chiquita -- when they were paying different Colombian terror group in late 90s, is WhiteHouse advisor on terror threats now and worked for Poppy Bush , who once owned part of United Fruit.
Someone didn't get the memo not to mess with Bushprofits? Protect your US Attorney from accusations of faulty law enforcement -- it is really disloyal to let a Texasmafia crony company get caught.
I'm in Florida and way past exhaustion from being doubleBushed. You think the Dixie Chix were embarrassed? We really DID NOT eat chad and drink "chaddy Kathy" phony holy water -- "Celestial Drops" con cure for orange tree blight. Bushies cheated with ethnic cleansing phony felon list purging LEGAL voters.
Heads will roll, in my opinion. They don't like their international corporate crony ties to abusing natives in their own lands exposed. Nor do they like the immigrants they drive here in desperation being in a position to show why they don't "fix" immigration for economic slavery connections.
The illegals are victims and so are we. Tell congress to tell W. to smoke banana peels and resign. NO AMNESTY. GET OUT OF IRAQ. NO deed to the arab oil ranch -->along came JONES? Bring OUR guard home to guard us from Bush.