Big Immigration Raid Takes Place in Tennessee

 

Early on the morning of April 5, United States law enforcement officials raided a meat processing factory in the state of Tennessee.

Agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) led the raid on the Southeastern Provisions meatpacking plant in the town of Bean Station. The Federal Bureau of Investigation¹ and local police assisted in the operation.

Officials believed that illegal immigrants were working at the plant. ICE agents removed about 100 people. They were suspected of being foreign citizens without documentation to work in the U.S. The group was taken to a local National Guard armory² for questioning.

Large workplace action

The raid was the largest workplace action yet since Donald Trump³ became U.S. president. When he was a presidential candidate, Trump promised to reduce illegal immigration.

Thomas Homan is the director of ICE. Last October, he announced a campaign against employers who offer employment to illegal immigrants. He said the goal was to stop what he called the “magnet” attracting illegal immigrants to the U.S.

News of the raid spread throughout the area, including the nearby town of Morristown, Tennessee. Many of the factory’s workers live in Morristown.

John Gullion heads the local newspaper, the Citizen Tribune. He said the raid caused some people to share unconfirmed stories. “The worst part was the rumors⁴,” Gullion said. He added that some people said every factory in town was raided. In fact, the only raid that took place was at the meatpacking plant in Bean Station, which is in another county.

About 29,000 people live in Morristown, which is a short drive from the Great Smoky Mountains. Over the past 20 years, new industries have brought jobs and growth to the area. In April, a Belgian bus manufacturer announced plans to open a factory there.

New workers also are arriving. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew to 21 percent. They have taken jobs in meatpacking, with automobile⁵ parts manufacturers and furniture companies.

However, the new arrivals brought new tensions with people already living in Morristown.

A few days after the raid, a local employment agency was very quiet when normally the service would be busy.

Teachers and other school workers rode buses home with Hispanic students to make sure they were not going home to empty homes.

Friends and family members of those detained gathered near the local armory.

KC Curberson-Alvarado is the head of HOLA Lakeway, an activist⁶ group for Latino people. She heard about the raid and contacted an immigration rights group for legal assistance.

She also set up efforts to help family members with information and documents and, in some cases, to get medicine for those being held.

Stephanie Teatro is with the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Right Coalition⁷. She says her group found that 97 people were arrested and charged after the raid on the factory. Of those, she said, 54 had been sent to ICE detention⁸ centers in the states of Louisiana and Alabama. Thirty-two were released but are required to appear in court for hearings on whether they can stay in the country.

One woman, who identified herself as Beatriz and who did not want to give her family name, has an uncle who is being held in Louisiana. Another family member was among those who were detained but later released.

After the raid took place, there was a push to get more information. “I didn’t know what was going on,” she said.

A mix of support and concern about the raid

People in Hamblen County expressed support for the raid and disapproval⁹ of illegal immigration on the local paper’s Facebook page.

But John Gullion of the Citizen Tribune said the strongest opinions appear mainly on social media. He said the community is conservative. Many Hamblen County voters supported Trump in the 2016 elections.

Gullion added that the community also is deeply humane¹⁰.

“I have been surprised by how many … people have expressed sympathy for the children or expressed that whatever way this was one was wrong,” he said.

Curberson-Alvarado said the community provided $60,000 to affected¹¹ families which have lost important income providers. They also donated diapers, personal products and food.

Teachers also gave their time to provide information to students affected by the raid.

KC Curberson-Alvarado said she was grateful for the way the community reacted -- even the reaction of government agents who carried out the raid. She said she did not know what took place during the operation, but she said ICE agents permitted her group to act in support of the detainees.

“If this could be cordial, they were cordial,” she said.

I’m Mario Ritter.

Words in This Story

armory – n. a place where arms and equipment are kept

attract – v. to pull toward oneself; to cause to be interested in something

rumors – n. a story passed from person to person that has not been proven true

Hispanic – adj. coming from an area where Spanish is spoken, especially Latin America

Latino(s) – adj. describing someone whose family comes from South or Central America or Mexico

uncle – n. the brother of one’s mother or father; the husband of a parent’s sister or brother

humane – adj. kind to people (or animals)

grateful – adj. expressing or showing thanks

cordial – adj. pleasant or friendly

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 armory   

n.纹章，兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Nuclear weapons will play a less prominent part in NATO's armory in the future.核武器将来在北约的军械中会起较次要的作用。
• Every March the Armory Show sets up shop in New York.每年三月，军械博览会都会在纽约设置展场。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

9 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

10 humane   

adj.人道的，富有同情心的

参考例句：

• Is it humane to kill animals for food?宰杀牲畜来吃合乎人道吗？
• Their aim is for a more just and humane society.他们的目标是建立一个更加公正、博爱的社会。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。