A group
of workers
leaves the
Agriprocessors
Inc. plant with
federal agents on
May 12.
Where's The Beef?
Federal agents cite possible drugs, illegal workers at kosher plant.
Ben Harris
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
New York
I
n laying the legal groundwork for last
week's massive raid on the country's
largest kosher slaughterhouse, federal
authorities cited claims that illegal narcot-
ics production took place at the factory
and hundreds of illegal immigrants were
employed there, including several of the rab-
bis responsible for kosher supervision.
The charges were among the most explo-
sive details to emerge following the raid May
12 at the Agriprocessors plant in Iowa.
Agents arrested 390 of the plant's 800-900
workers in what Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) called the largest raid of
its kind in U.S. history.
The raid followed a six-month inves-
tigation involving more than a dozen
Local Shortage?
Alan Hitsky
Associate Editor
Agriprocessors produces 60 percent of
the kosher meat in the United States
and local supplies are expected to drop
in the wake of last week's federal raid on
the Postville, Iowa, plant.
Les Kleiman, owner and president of
Morris Kosher Poultry in Hazel Park, is
one of two kosher wholesalers for the
federal agencies, including the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement
Administration, Internal Revenue Service
and Labor and Agriculture departments.
Three Israelis and four Ukrainians were
among the mostly Latino detainees held on
charges of being in the country illegally.
Agriprocessors said in a statement last
week that it "takes the immigration laws
seriously" and will "continue to cooperate
with the government in its investigation."
In the 60-page application for a search
warrant, additional details were revealed
about the government's investigation of
Agriprocessors, a company that has been
beset by numerous allegations of health and
safety violations, mistreating workers and
controversial slaughter practices.
According to the document, a former
supervisor at the plant told investigators
80 percent of the workforce was illegal. The
source also believed rabbis responsible for
Detroit area. He received normal deliv-
eries last week, but was told supplies
this week "would be restricted."
Kleiman also gets supplies of fresh
kosher meat from Alle Processing in
Maspeth, N.Y. Alle produces kosher meat
under the MealMart label.
Outside sources were skeptical
that other kosher plants could make
up the difference if production at the
Agriprocessors plant is drastically
reduced.
Jim Hiller, whose seven Hiller's
kosher supervision entered the U.S. from
Canada without proper documents.
The source also claimed the drug meth-
amphetamine was produced at the plant and
reported incidents of weapons being carried
there. The drug gives users a sense of energy
and euphoria. Agriprocessors employees
said sometimes they were required to work
shifts of 12 hours or more.
The affidavit says that 697 plant employ-
ees are believed to have violated federal laws.
With Agriprocessors producing more than
half of the nation's kosher meat, the raid has
prompted fears of a disruption in supply.
Though the plant was back in operation May
13, it was unclear if Agriprocessors could
meet its normal production capacity with
hundreds of its workers in federal custody.
Founded by Brooklyn butcher Aaron
Rubashkin, Agriprocessors produces kosher
meat and poultry marketed under the labels
Aaron's Best and Rubashkin's.
The firm gained national attention in 2000
with the publication of the book Postville,
which described the tensions between the
company and the local community. The
company has attracted a significant popula-
tion of Orthodox Jews to rural Postville.
Sources related similar stories of pre-
senting fraudulent documents and Social
Security numbers when seeking employ-
ment with the company. Several said
undocumented workers employed at the
plant were paid by supervisors in cash and
paid supervisors for fake documents.
Agriprocessors was fined $182,000 in
March for health and safety violations.
Several years ago, People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals clandestinely video-
taped a controversial slaughter practice used
at the plant. An investigation by the Forward
newspaper alleged that employees were
underpaid and exploited. Agriprocessors
officials denied the allegations.
Markets in southeast Michigan sell pre-
packaged meats from Agriprocessor's
Aaron's Best brand, said there are very
few other sources for kosher meat.
He expects last week's raid to "have
a significant impact on supply" and lead
to "a gigantic rise in prices."
Shloime Luss wholesales kosher
meat exclusively from Agriprocessors
through his Superior Kosher Meats in
Southfield. Neither Luss nor a spokes-
man for Kroger Supermarkets, based in
Columbus, Ohio, returned calls from the
Jewish News seeking information.
Three local butcher shops that
carry fresh kosher meat include Luss'
Superior in Southfield, Farm Fresh
Market in Oak Park and Harvard Row
Kosher Meats in West Bloomfield.
Johnny Katz, owner of Harvard Row,
gets his meat from Agriprocessors via
Luss. He received a normal shipment of
500-600 pounds of beef on May 14, but
did not know what his shipment would
be on May 21. "It's anyone's guess," Katz
said. ❑
❑
May 22 • 2008
A27