Featured: ?Postville: Ground Zero on the Immigration Debate.?

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?Postville: Ground Zero on the Immigration Debate.?
         


            
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            ?Postville: Ground Zero on the Immigration Debate.?

Please Read here:  Please visit the Project Report homepage and vote thumbs up for my video here:
http://www.youtube.com/projectreport

This video is my submission for Project: Report.  I was chosen in the initial round for my video on Homeless Veterans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNWIzMqNM18

And this is my second round submission where the focus was to tell a local story that has a global impact.  I would appreciate any support by voting for my video at the Project: Report homepage, and you will also be able to view the other amateur journalists and their entries (which are really good and worth watching).


The subject matter in this video focuses on Postville, Iowa and its diverse immigrant population.  I was limited to 4 minutes; otherwise, I would have preferred to show you more.  Additionally - I wish I would have had more opportunities to talk with the women on camera, but most were reluctant, especially considering they are still awaiting their trial, and are concerned over any retribution.  Additionally, what I am attempting to portray in this videos is the human side of illegal immigration and how our government will focus on one large raid, gain media attention - like "Hey, everyone look over here, we did something about illegal immigration."  Yet - they cannot even begin to attempt to pass any real immigration refrom.  In short, I am for securing our borders, I am not for making an example out of people that have been here ten years or so.  Certain numbers of illegal immigrants should be allowed some form of amnesty, including paying a fine, etc.  Anyways, to kick them out of our country would cause devastating effects to our economy.  The idea that the government can solve this problem by raiding a factory once a year is ridiculous.

In May of this year, Immigration and Customs Officials (ICE) conducted the largest raid in US history at the largest kosher meat packing plant, located in Postville, Iowa (NE Iowa, population ~2,000).

During the raid, approximately 400 immigrants were arrested and ultimately deported.  Most of these individuals were men and their wives, many with children who are US citizens, have been kept in limbo these last months.  They await trial to determine their status and whether they too will be deported and in the interim they are not allowed to work (being undocumented aliens).  This has caused hardships for these families and the economy in Postville has suffered as well, with businesses closing throughout town.

In short, these people came from war torn and economically depressed third-world countries (Guatemala and Mexico) and many of them have been here in the US for over ten years, working feverishly and trying to make a better future for their children.  I, like many Americans appreciate the fact that we must do a better job at securing our borders; however, we must also realize the importance of not destroying people's lives that have worked so hard for so long.  Yet, immigration reform seems perpetually out of reach for our government to address, and Postville is an example of that dire situation.

I would like to extend my thanx and appreciation to all those that contributed in any way to the making of this short documentary, including the townspeople of Postville:

Father Lloyd Paul Ouderkirk
Dr. Rigoberta Menchu
Sister Mary
Mr. Paul Rael
Mrs. Sharon Drahn
and all the women and their children who are at the center of this story.

Well thanx for watching and while I understand how this debate can get pretty heated, please be respectful in any of your comments and remember: these people are human too...just like you and me, and all they wanted was an opportunity for a better life.  They are not evil, they are good, hard-working people.

Cheers
-Rich


Further Reading and information:
CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/14/postville.raid/?iref=mpstoryview
New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/opinion/13sun2.html
National Geographic:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0506/feature7/map.html
Postville website:
http://www.cityofpostville.com/
New America Media:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=c2e8276c8874820146bd6d1b06737d30
The Iowa Independent:
http://iowaindependent.com/7060/postville-mayor-describes-freaky-nightmare-to-national-press
 












Project Report submission Round 2
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               Added: November 9, 2008

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