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Lt. Gov. Judge: Visits Postville, announces assistance
12/4/2008

LT. GOVERNOR JUDGE VISITS POSTVILLE, ANNOUNCES ASSISTANCE

POSTVILLE – Lt. Governor Patty Judge traveled to Postville today to hold a public meeting with local citizens, where she announced three AmeriCorps*VISTA members will be assigned to the community to assist residents who have been impacted by the events at Agriprocessors this year.

In addition, the Lt. Governor brought a contract, to be signed by local officials, which will be worth nearly $700,000 in assistance for the community.

“Though the future of Agriprocessors remains in doubt, the citizens of Postville should never doubt our commitment to their community,” said Lt. Governor Patty Judge. “This quiet northeast Iowa town has been turned upside down by the May’s Federal raid and the events that followed. But no matter what the future holds, the State of Iowa will be here to do all it can to meet the economic and humanitarian needs of this community. Iowans have always helped their neighbors during a time of need, and we will do so again in Postville.”

At the direction of Culver/Judge Administration, three AmeriCorps*VISTA members have been assigned to Postville and the surrounding four-county area. Starting next week, the members will help secure food, shelter, health services, and light and water utilities for individuals impacted by the events at Agriprocessors.

AmeriCorps*VISTA members will also help coordinate the search for employment, job interviews, and transportation or relocation to permanent residences and jobs. In addition, VISTA members will help the approximately two dozen displaced families from the Waterloo floods coordinate services that are available to help return their lives to normal.

While in Postville, Lt. Governor Judge also brought a contract with the state to be signed by the Mayor and other local officials worth nearly $700,000 in community development block grant funding. The emergency allocation of funds was announced by the Department of Economic Development last month following the temporary shutdown of the Agriprocessors facility, and will be used to provide assistance payments for rent and utilities to families impacted by the closing of the plant.

Applications for the funds are currently being accepted at Turner Hall in Postville. Individuals who have been affected by the shutdown of the Agriprocessors facility are encouraged to apply.

Since the federal raid of the Agriprocessors facility in May, the Culver/Judge Administration has been actively committed to helping the community recover from the hardships that followed.

Below is a detailed listing of steps the Administration has taken to help those affected.

CULVER/JUDGE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO AGRIPROCESSORS RAID

1. Presence of the State of Iowa

The Governor and Lt. Governor have been involved from day one of the raid, directing state agency directors to travel to Postville and work to meeting community needs.

· From the first day of the raid, the state took action. Governor Culver and Lt. Governor Judge rapidly convened a temporary working group of several state agencies to monitor the situation and ensure people were treated with dignity, and due process was upheld.

1. As released to the press shortly after the May raid: “We continue to monitor the situation in Postville,” said Lt. Governor Judge. “As a state, we are committed to ensuring that our laws are protected while those affected are treated with dignity and respect, and will continue to do what we can to protect the rights and safety of everyone involved – especially the families and children. I want to commend local officials and non-profit organizations for their help during this difficult situation. They have done an outstanding job, and we will work with them to keep the pressure on the Federal Government to pass comprehensive immigration reform, so that a situation like this never happens again.”

2. Since May, these principles have guided the State in taking action.

3. Both the Governor and Lt. Governor specifically have expressed their intent to both support comprehensive immigration reform and to keep pressure on the Federal Government to achieve this reform.

· Key agency staff continues to be on the ground providing critical services. (See the following listings for details.)

· The Governor’s office approached the issue as having components that were short term (such as utility shut-offs), intermediate (such as finding alternative jobs), and long-term (such as a sale or otherwise re-opening the plant).

2. Humanitarian concerns and the Office of the Governor and Lt. Governor

· The Lt. Governor communicated humanitarian concerns to both the U.S. attorney and ICE, and continued conversations with the Federal officials to ensure that state officials have the latest information. These ongoing concerns included direct requests to Federal officials that family members be informed as to the location of parents and children.

· The Governor’s Office held conference calls with community and county officials, offered technical assistance, and provided information on aid programs that may be available.

· The Governor and Lt. Governor worked with Attorney General Tom Miller to investigate claims that legal rights were not being upheld.

· The Governor and Lt. Governor directed state officials to travel to Postville and provide first-hand reports of the situation within the community.

1. The Latino Affairs Director and the Civil Rights Commission Director were present in the community shortly after the raid.

2. Within 24 hours, key state workers, including from Department of Human Services, traveled to Postville to offer services from family assistance and food stamp applications, survey community needs, and ensure the health and safety of minors.

· Staff from the Governor’s Office has held ongoing and continuous discussions with representatives from the legal community to provide greater access to representation for detainees and their families so that due process rights are protected. Minors and other Iowans had issues from non-payment of pay, housing evictions, and guardianships for minors, who as US citizens, were separated from their parents.

· Lt. Governor Judge has praised Iowa’s faith-based community for its ongoing assistance in providing family members access to basic needs.

3. State officials working under the authority and request of the Governor’s office.

1. Iowa Department of Human Services

State DHS income maintenance workers traveled to Postville during the first days after the raid to accept and process applications from eligible citizens for medical assistance and food stamps. DHS processed 75 applications in the first two weeks after the raid.

· A DHS social worker was on site on Monday, May 12th, to ensure that every child has proper supervision and care. The social worker participated in a door-to-door canvass to ensure that children were safe and supervised.

1. DHS staff took applications from eligible citizens for assistance with food stamps and medical services.

2. DHS staff provided mental health services to members of the community and the school system.

3. As of December 1, DHS continues to have a presence in Postville to continue providing assistance. Since November 21, DHS has processed another 72 applications for assistance in Postville.

2. Iowa Utility Board

· The IUB intervened, and asked for and received, a delay in electric and natural gas turnoffs. The delay of a week meant Iowans, including laid-off workers, could apply for LIHEAP, which would also give moratorium protection against utility shutoffs.

· A delay in water shutoffs was also instituted by the City.

· IUB also asked for and received a ‘cap’ with utilities regarding the maximum deposit that would be required for re-connections.

3. Iowa Department of Economic Development

· At a November 21 meeting in Postville, IDED announced an emergency award to Postville. IDED is providing emergency funds, in the amount of $698,000, to assist with utility and shelter issues. The funds were to provide assistance payments for rent and utilities for families losing employment due to the closing of Agriprocessors.

4. Iowa Workforce Development

· IWD and IDED have been working together to determine possible job openings in Iowa for individual Iowans affected by the plant shutdown. Over 30 jobs have been located for displaced workers.

· IWD New Iowan Centers have been providing staff for several weeks to assist displace workers and assisting with unemployment applications.

Ongoing involvement of Iowa Workforce Development:

· Early on, IWD lawyers had contacted Agriprocessors and directed the company to make good on wages to employees affected by the Federal action in Postville.

1. Based on work by IWD officials, charges were filed in October against Agriprocessors for violations of wage payment laws.

2. Based on the work by IWD officials, charges were also filed for OSHA and child labor violations.

5. Iowa Department of Public Safety

· DPS was notified by local officials, including clergy, about safety concerns in the community.

· DPS assisted local law enforcement in surveying the community, and found no problems were evident.

· At the November 21 town meeting, the Allamakee County Sheriff thanked DPS for its response and assistance.

6. Iowa Civil Rights Commission

· In the days following the raid, and up to and including the latest crises that surfaced during the plant slow down and eventual shut down, ICRC regularly communicated with the faith-based community about services detainee’s family members need, such as shelter, medical care, food and mental health needs and right to counsel.

· ICRC worked with Iowa Legal Aid, ISBA and private attorneys to provide detainees and their families with legal services or legal information concerning issues such as housing, immigration status, wage claims, possible evictions and utility shutoffs.

· The ICRC Executive Director traveled to Postville and Waterloo to meet with community and faith based organizations.

· ICRC and other state agencies were present and participated in the November 21 community meeting.

· ICRC initiated contacts with Iowa’s Congressional offices keep them aware of the situation and discuss ideas for federal participation in providing support.

· ICRC has been working with federal agencies investigating concerns over worker safety.

· ICRC offered three full-time VISTA workers, who will begin the week of December 8, to assist in the multi-county area around Postville deal with assisting Iowans with short and long term needs, including utility, shelter, jobs, food and clothing. VISTA will also be working with representatives of faith-based organizations.


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