Immigration Raids: Lessons Schools Can Take from a Midwest Town
Joy Minikwu describes what students, families, and staff experienced during and after massive immigration raids in the small town of Postville, Iowa in 2008
Q & A with Joy Minikwu on Immigration Raids
In this Q & A written for Colorín Colorado, ESL coordinator Joy Minikwu describes what students, families, and staff experienced during and after massive immigration raids in the small town of Postville, Iowa in 2008. She also suggests steps that schools can take to prepare for immigration enforcement activity in their community.
Special thanks also to the following contributors: Chad Wahls (Elementary Principal at the time of the immigration raids); Adriana Vazquez (School translator/Migrant Coordinator); and Meca Loftsgard (ELL teacher). This article was edited by Colorín Colorado Manager Lydia Breiseth.
Immigration Raids in Postville, Iowa
Postville is a town of 2200 people in northeastern Iowa, about 90 miles north of Cedar Rapids. Over the past two decades, the demographics of the town have changed significantly with the arrival of numerous Hispanic families, mainly from Mexico and Guatemala, and a large Hasidic Jewish population. In more recent years, the town has continued to diversify with the arrival of Somali refugees and unaccompanied minors from Guatemala.
Photo credit: Students in Miss Lana's ESL class, Postville. Used with permission from Iowa Public Radio and Sandhya Dirks.
The town made national headlines in 2008 when a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid of a kosher slaughterhouse and meat packing plant resulted in the arrest of nearly 400 immigrant workers and the indictment of several employees and managers based on the plant's management and labor practices. It was, at the time, one of the largest workplace immigration raids of its kind in history.
The schools in Postville played a crucial role in caring for and supporting the children affected by the immigration raids. Many children had parents or siblings who were arrested. Joy Minikwu is the ESL coordinator for the district. In this Q & A written for Colorín Colorado, she describes what the students, families, and staff experienced during and after the immigration raids and the raid's long-term impact on the community. She also suggests steps that schools can take to prepare for ICE activity in their community.
Colorín Colorado provides information, activities, and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners. Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities,... See More
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