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Workers inside the plant described a terrifying scene
Posted by Kim on March 7th, 2007
Raven has been called away to a friend who needs her right now. She’s gone out West and should be back sometime next week.
Maybe she’ll see some real snow while she’s out there.
Meanwhile here in New England there is never a dull day.
NEW BEDFORD — Hundreds of immigration officers and police descended on a New Bedford leather goods factory yesterday , charged top officials with employing illegal immigrants, and rounded up 350 workers who could not prove they were in the country legally.
The waterfront company, Michael Bianco Inc., was using the illegal immigrants to produce safety vests and backpacks for the US military, officials said.
Workers inside the plant described a terrifying scene. At first, several hundred employees, most of them Guatemalan or Salvadoran, were told to remain at their sewing stations as officials reviewed their status. Chaos ensued, as some panicked workers tried to flee.
“When we realized what was going on, a lot of people were screaming and crying,” said Tina Pacheco, a supervisor who has worked at the company for 14 years. “They told American citizens to stand in one area and the people without papers to stand in another area. It was terrible, they were crying and didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Witnesses said police guarded exits while other officers grabbed some of the fleeing workers and shouted at them to lie on the ground. Several officers drew their handguns . Workers tried to leave the building, but went back inside after emerging into the bitter cold to find more officers surrounding the three-story red brick factory.
And all we’re going to hear about are the poor abandoned children of these illegal immigrantscum. I cry no river for any of them. It is KNOWN among these criminals that if they get caught, they could face time locked up, and knowing this and continuing to work here THEY are responsible for abandoning their own kids. It’s a risk they are willing to take.
As for the company down in New Bedford…CLOSE SHOP. THIS place once hired and employed AMERICAN citizens. THEY all got laid off. NOW this place hires illegals and treats them like shit…another self induced problem we have: Illegals know they’re breaking laws AND so do these scum bosses, who think nothing of taking advantage of these workers. I’m not saying these workers are abused, FAR from it and the jobs here are better than back home, for sure. BUT American standards are not being met and that is wrong.
March 8th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Jail time for these crooked owners coupled with stiff fines that will shut down their business is about the only thing that might gain the attention of other employers hiring illegals.
Of course, the Army needs to terminate its contract immediately and bar them from future should they try to start up another business. I don’t know why the contract inspectors didn’t pick up their use of illegals, though. Maybe some house cleaning is needed there too.