Judge questions DHS treatment of immigrants after raids

Thanks to David Kurtz at Talking Points Memo, we learn that the raids last month on the Kraft plants where over 200 workers were arrested and held incommunicado are not sitting well with the District Court in Denver:

A federal judge ordered immigration officials Friday to provide the names and whereabouts of at least 260 immigrant workers arrested during a raid at Greeley's Swift & Co. meatpacking plant.

U.S. District Judge John L. Kane also warned lawyers representing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that he is scrutinizing how they handled the detainees.

During a court hearing Friday in Denver, Kane ordered government lawyers to give details on detainees to lawyers representing workers.

In response to allegations that ICE agents denied detainees their due-process rights and coerced them to sign voluntary deportation orders after the Dec. 12 sweep, Kane ordered ICE to hold bond hearings within 48 hours for any jailed Swift workers who had not yet had such a hearing.

Kane also ordered ICE not to deport Swift detainees who had signed papers agreeing to leave the country and giving up legal rights, and to withdraw those orders if the detainees want.

Also Friday, Kane denied a motion by government lawyers to dismiss a lawsuit filed by United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 7 on behalf of all workers arrested in Greeley. The union, which represents Swift workers, contends ICE abused its powers during and after the roundup. The union has filed similar suits in other cities where ICE arrested Swift workers.