By TIM PRATT Evening Sun Reporter The temperature in Biglerville rose above 80 degrees Thursday, and throughout the small town in the heart of Adams County's fruit belt, people mowed lawns, walked dogs and sat on porches to watch the world go by. When classes let out for the day at Biglerville High School, students walked along the sidewalks, rode their bikes, or flocked to the 7-Eleven for cold drinks. But beneath this calm exterior was a town that, just a day earlier, was the scene of a raid of illegal immigrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Media outlets reported 36 suspected illegal immigrants were taken into custody Wednesday morning at the IFCO Systems plant, known locally as Pallet Outlet, in the 3100 block of Biglerville Road. Immigration officials would not confirm the number Thursday. It was not clear Thursday how many of those arrested had been detained at York County Prison. "We did not keep more than one or two," said Warden Tom Hogan. Ernestine Fobbs of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency said some of those arrested had been detained because of existing criminal cases. But raids Wednesday on more than 40 IFCO Systems plants in 26 states resulted in arrests of seven current and former IFCO Systems managers and 1,187 workers suspected of illegal immigration, said Michael Chertoff, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in a press conference Thursday. More suspected illegal immigrants were arrested during the operation than in the entirety of last year. Chertoff said the department is looking closely at organizations that make it a practice to hire illegal immigrants. News of the Pallet Outlet raid sent shock waves through the tiny borough, where more than 10 percent of the population is of Hispanic descent, according to the 2000 Census, and through Adams County's Latino community as a whole. At a meeting of the Latino Services Task Force on Thursday night in Gettysburg, the immigration bust in Biglerville was a hot topic of conversation. Reactions from the roughly two dozen Latinos in attendance ranged from sadness and concern to outrage and fear. Amelia Contreras, director of the task force, said she started receiving phone calls from families of the incarcerated workers immediately following the bust. And concerns were raised among other local Latinos, she said. "It was awful yesterday when we were getting the calls," Contreras said. "We have parents calling and asking if they should send their kids to school. A lot of people didn't go to work today." But not all of the people in Adams County felt the raids were such a terrible event. "I thought it was a good thing," said Michelle Proce, an employee at 7-Eleven in Biglerville. "They should have done it sooner." Ashley Grindstaff, another 7-Eleven employee, agreed with Proce. "I think what happened is perfectly OK," she said. "If they don't have a green card, they shouldn't be working." Don Irvin said the raids were the "right thing to do," and felt that migrant workers should take all the necessary steps to become legal if they want to work in America. "I'm not against the legal workers," Irvin said. "Just get the proper pass to come in." Irvin said businesses should not have to rely on illegal immigrants to meet their staffing needs. "I think there's enough workers that have the proper green card," he said. Sitting on his porch along South Main Street in Biglerville, Richard Gochenauer said he believes the raids were a good thing. He said he's lived in the area for years and has seen a dramatic increase in the Latino population recently. "You see a lot more of them working around here," he said. "I figured it was going to happen, but I didn't expect it to happen this soon." John Chronister was giving a haircut at his father's Biglerville business, Chronister's Barber Shop, and did not see the Pallet Outlet raid in the same light. "All the Mexicans I've dealt with are good guys," he said. "They're hard workers. All of them. It's not like they're trashing the town." Chronister said more raids like the one at IFCO could hurt local fruit growers. "They (migrant workers) are the only ones that are going to pick apples," Chronister said. "I picked apples one fall and that's the hardest work I've ever done in my life." The Rev. Bernardo Pistone agreed, saying, "These are hardworking men. That's why they (immigration officials) had to go get them at their jobs." Pistone said Thursday he had not heard the names of any of the suspected illegal immigrants, but was told many attended church services at St. Francis Xavier on Sundays. "They are not criminals," he said. "If someone is a criminal, he should be shipped back." When asked if he considered immigration without proper documentation to be a criminal activity, Pistone compared immigration to stealing bread. "If I need a piece of bread because my children are starving, does that make me a criminal or just a father," he asked. Pistone said the church doesn't ask how people came to the U.S. "If somebody comes for a piece of bread, we have no alternative as a church than to give them a piece of bread," he said. St. Francis Xavier Church and the new Latino community center, Manos Unidas, will work together to assist families of the men who were incarcerated as well as local Latinos in their time of need, Contreras said. "It's going to be hard for them to find another job now," she said. "We will help provide food and the kind of support they need. Nobody knew this was coming." |