Loveland Colorado Raid at Precuts Concrete, July 16, 2008

Help Loveland Families!

On Wednesday, July 16, 2008 ICE conducted a worksite raid in Loveland Colorado at Colorado Precast Concrete.  According to witnesses they had a list of 22 people who were undocumented and working in the plant.  Eighteen people were arrested and four escaped.

The eighteen males who were arrested were taken first to Park County, Colorado, approximately four hours from Loveland.  Families were unable to speak with the people who were detained.  Community organizations Fuerza Latina, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN), and Colorado Immigrant’s Rights Coalition (CIRC) combined efforts to reach the detainees and their families as quickly as possible. On Friday evening attorneys from RMAIN traveled to Park County to meet with detainees and on Saturday morning Fuerza Latina organized a meeting their families and continue throughout the week to provide support and assistance to the families

Bonds were initially set for 10,000.  Several of the detainees were held without bonds.   None of the detainees signed stipulated removals. None were charged criminally. By Thursday morning all the detainees were set bond reduction hearings and RMIAN provided pro bono representation  Bonds were reduced in all cases.  Most bonds were re-set at $3,000, several were set at $2,000, one at $6,000, one at $7,000 and one at $1,500.  To date 13 people have bonded out of ICE custody.

All of those arrested were the primary wage earner in their family, and in most cases the only working adult in the family.  Several have children and spouses with medical needs ranging from severe Down’s syndrome and heart conditions to asthma and diabetes.  Some of the wives are pregnant and others are the caretakers of children with special needs. 

The families that managed to pay the bonds have spent all of their rent and bill money on the bond and borrowed the rest.  Most of these families will be unable to pay their rent on August 1 and are at risk of becoming homeless.  None of the men arrested are back at work and they do not anticipate being able to find work. 

Your donations can make a huge difference to the families!!