A federal judge in Denver today ordered the government to hold bond hearings within 48 hours for all detainees still being held in last month’s raids at Swift meatpacking plants in Greeley and in five other states.
U.S. District Judge John L. Kane Jr. also ordered the government to allow all detainees who signed voluntary departure agreements for their deportation to withdraw those agreements in order to seek legal advice.
Kane made his rulings during a hearing for lawyers representing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and attorneys representing some of the 265 people arrested at the Swift & Co. meatpacking plant in Greeley in December.
Lawyers representing union meatpackers filed complaints in federal court shortly after the raids claiming many of those detained were summarily deported to Mexico that night, while others were transferred to jails outside of Colorado.
Kane noted there is “confusion on all sides” regarding the number of detainees, their locations and their legal status. But he said “the government is on notice that this court is monitoring its actions” and will maintain jurisdiction over the workers’ cases.
