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On December 12, 2006 , Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents clad in black and wielding guns stormed six JBS-Swift plants in Grand Island, Neb.; Greeley, Colo.; Hyrum, Utah; Marshalltown, Iowa; Cactus, Tex., and Worthington, Minn.
They raided the plants, rounded up the workers and began to systematically search them. Many workers who were legal citizens and residents, were detained for hours against their will.
Some were handcuffed. Others were put on buses and shipped to camps hours away. Workers were denied access to phones, bathrooms, food, and legal council.
"I saw all of our civil rights taken away from us in the raid. I want to do something about it to bring back those rights to people."
-Darryl Harrington, raid victim and veteran of the Korean war
The meeting was the first of a series of regional hearings. After thorough investigation, it will produce a public report that highlights its findings and makes recommendations to ensure that workers do not check their constitutional rights at the door when they report to work.