125 Are Held in INS Raid of Meat Plant

Immigration officials raided a meatpacking plant in Marshalltown, Iowa, and detained at least 125 suspected illegal workers. The Immigration and Naturalization Service raided the pork-processing plant when it discovered that many employees had submitted false information to the company, said INS official Jerry Heinauer. Officials at the Swift & Co. plant worked with the INS in planning the sweep, which took place at the end of an afternoon shift. About 900 employees were working at the time. “We don’t condone illegal workers,” company spokeswoman K.T. Miller said. “This is the first time at this plant that we’ve had this type of operation. It’s very difficult for us to detect fraudulent documents.” The workers were being held at a National Guard Armory.