Immigration and Customs Enforcement Raid in Asheville, NC

Fact Sheet

August 22, 2008

57 Arrested at ICE Raid of Mills Manufacturing plant, Asheville, NC

On August 12,2008,57 workers were arrested by agents of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Mills Manufacturing Corporation in Asheville, NC on charges related to immigration violations. Below is an outline of the facts associated with the raid.

• 57 workers were arrested on charges related to immigration violations. This was the largest

ICE raid in North Carolina, a state that has had the fastest-growing Latino population in the US over the past 15 years.

• Workers reported that they were gathered for a 7:30 a.m. meeting in the warehouse.

Management was speaking to them in English, which was unusual. ICE agents entered the warehouse quickly, without explanation. People panicked, and tried to run, but nobody got away. ICE agents instructed the workers to divide themselves between those with legal documents and those without.

• All arrested workers were transferred to the Henderson County Sheriffs Office for

immigration processing. All were placed into "removal proceedings" for being in violation of U.S. immigration law. There have been no criminal charges against any workers.

• From HendersonvUle, 28 workers were transferred to the Mecklenburg County Detention

Center near Charlotte and are being held as part of their "removal proceedings." Immigration lawyers state that these proceedings are likely to end in deportation.

• 29 workers, mostly mothers with children, were released by the end of the work day on

August 12. These workers were driven back to Mills Manufacturing. ICE calls this "humanitarian release." These workers are still in "removal proceedings." They are under order to appear before a federal immigration judge; they too are likely to be deported.

• Mills Manufacturing Corporation is a US government defense contractor that is the primary

maker of parachutes for the US military. It is a third-generation family-owned business that has been in Asheville since 1952. It employs about 175 workers.

• ICE released a press release stating that the Mills Manufacturing raid was part of the

agency's focus on homeland security issues, which includes checks on military contractors

• Public response to the raid included a vigil at Hendersonville County Detention Center, a

rally in downtown Asheville, and an interdenominational vigil at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville.

• The families of arrested workers are devastated and traumatized. There around 40 children whose parents were arrested. Many of the children are US citizens. They face potential family separation (families being deported, children staying in the US), economic hardship (their parent has lost their job), and psychological trauma (the trauma of having a parent arrested and deported).
For information, contact Nuestro Centro - (828) 255-2987, nuestragenteasheville(oivahoo.com Nuestro Centro, POBox 9238, Asheville, NC28815; (828) 255-2987, nuestragenteasheville@yahoo.com