Essential Estrogen

A total of 140 of the 389 individuals detained by the government during the May 12 immigration raids of Agriprocessors in Postville have now been sentenced in federal court. To date, all individuals associated with this case who are facing criminal charges have opted to plea guilty.

In addition to the 85 individuals previously reported, an additional 55 defendants entered a guilty plea yesterday during court proceedings on the site of the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo. From this second group, 30 were sentenced to five months in prison and three years of supervised release for using an identification document belonging to another person to obtain employment at Agriprocessors. Eighteen others were sentenced to five months in prison and three years of supervised release when they admitted to using a Social Security number or card that belonged to another person. One defendant was sentenced to five months in prison and one year of supervised release for gaining unlawful reentry into the United States. The final six defendants were sentenced to probation (and immediate deportation) when they admitted to using fake identification to obtain employment. The identification documents used by the six given probation were completely fabricated and did not belong to a real person.

All 55 of the accused -- 11 originally from Mexico and 44 from Guatemala -- admitted to being in the country illegally. They all face removal from the United States.

Hearings continue today at the makeshift courtroom facilities at the National Cattle Congress in Waterloo.