A federal judge ordered the federal government to compensate more than $1 million to 97 immigrants who were detained during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Tennessee in 2018. Each person will receive $5,700, except for six of them, who will receive almost $80,000. In addition, they will be issued a letter from ICE which they will be able to use to access immigration benefits.
The events occurred on April 5, 2018, at a Morristown (Tenn.) meat processing plant. ICE agents, accompanied by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and the city's police department stormed the factory with a warrant.
The raid was prompted by an investigation into the company's owner, James Brantley, for financial crimes, such as tax fraud and paying his employees under the table without declaring it to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Agents detained 97 undocumented immigrants of Hispanic origin: 11 of them were arrested for criminal offenses and the rest for illegally entering the U.S.
Subsequently, the detainees filed a lawsuit against ICE for using excessive force against them at the time of the raid. In addition, they alleged that their civil rights were violated.
"I live with the aftermath of that bad experience"
The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. After learning of the judge's decision, Martha Pulido, one of the complainants, said:
Someone asked me if I am happy about the result of this case. The question brought me back to that day. Everything was normal, and then in an instant, everything changed. Now, I live with the aftermath of that bad experience. It will stay with all of the families forever. I am not happy, but I am content to see that justice prevailed over injustice. I am thankful to the legal team and the class members, who stuck together throughout this time. We will always remember that we are one.
In a press release, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the organization that acted as one of the plaintiffs' defendants, expressed its thoughts about the ruling. Deputy Director Michelle Lapointe said:
Nearly five years after the raid that tore apart families, the final approval of this class settlement is a milestone in the fight for justice. Our courageous plaintiffs and class members worked long hours in grueling conditions to provide food for this country. While the settlement cannot heal the wounds caused by the violent 2018 raid, we are pleased with this hard-fought vindication of their rights and the power of community organizing.
