ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 11, 1997 TAG: 9702110059
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG
A coalition of church leaders and workers has vowed to provide legal assistance to 38 Hispanic workers who were arrested during an immigration raid at a local poultry plant.
The workers who were taken into custody during the Feb. 3 raid at the Wampler-Longacre turkey processing plant were accused of being illegal immigrants.
At a support rally Sunday for the arrested workers, about 250 people heard several complaints about tactics used by U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service agents. The use of barricades and dogs at the plant frightened some legal immigrants, speakers said.
``I think the issue of illegal immigration needs to be addressed, but to take a whole business hostage doesn't seem to be the way,'' said Dorothy Shank, a member of the Ridgeway Mennonite Church where the rally was held.
``Even those who are illegal are human beings and deserving of respect,'' said the Rev. Samuel Pagan, Ridgeway's minister to Hispanic workers who come to the Shenandoah Valley to work in the poultry industry.
Pagan estimated there are about 5,000 Hispanic workers in the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County area. He said deporting some of the workers will break up families that include spouses and children who are U.S. citizens either by birth or through naturalization.
INS officials said the raid ended a one-month investigation. The 38 are awaiting deportation hearings.
Wampler-Longacre officials said they were cooperating with the INS investigation.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 39 linesby CNB