Meat-Plant Immigration Raids Net First Exec

Sholom Rubashkin charged with widespread document fraud.

ByABC News
October 31, 2008, 10:09 AM

October 31, 2008— -- For the first time in a two-year federal crackdown on the use of illegal aliens in the meatpacking industry, a senior executive has been arrested and charged with a crime.

Since December 2006, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has raided plants for at least four companies, arresting over 2,000 workers, according to the agency. Most of those arrested – almost entirely low-skilled, hourly workers – have been deported, and many faced criminal charges.

Thursday's arrest of Sholom Rubashkin, vice president of Agriprocessors, Inc., was the first time a senior-level employee of a raided meat or poultry company has faced federal charges stemming from the raids.

The arrest was applauded by the United Food and Commercial Workers' Union, who had been trying to organize workers at Agriprocessors and other meat and poultry companies despite the raids.

"We have believed these raids have been attention-grabbing efforts that took aim at workers," said UFCW's Scott Frotman. "The people who were exploiting them were never prosecuted."

ICE agents arrested a UFCW official in July 2007 in connection with a raid on another meatpacking plant, according to the agency. The official was convicted of harboring illegal aliens in May and was sentenced to one year in prison.

Rubashkin, son of Agriprocessors owner Aaron Rubashkin, faces three felony counts relating to widespread document fraud and identity theft, part of what prosecutors say was a conspiracy to provide fake papers to his illegal workers. Rubashkin faces a minimum two years in prison if convicted, according to prosecutors. Rubashkin was arraigned Thursday, and released after posting $1 million bond and surrendering his passport.

In a statement released Thursday, a lawyer for Aaron Rubashkin called the arrest "wholly unnecessary and gratuitous," and accused federal prosecutors of having "a vendetta" against the company. Agriprocessors' lawyers are slated to meet with Justice Department officials, alleged attorney Nathan Lewin, who said Sholom Rubashkin and the company "are confident that, when all the facts are known. . . they will be vindicated."