Federal judge 'embarrassed' by immigration hearings

The 2008 raid on a Postville, Iowa, meatpacking plant by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that ignited church efforts for a more just immigration policy is now the subject of a documentary, "abUSed: The Postville Raid," by Luis Argueta and Vivian Rivas.

According to this report from the Des Moines Register, a federal judge who participated in court hearings after the immigration raid says the legal proceedings were "a travesty."

"I was embarrassed to be a United States District Court judge that day," District Judge Mark Bennett told the filmmakers.

NCR has followed this story closely since 2008:

• Immigration challenges church to respond with courage
• Guatemalan families reunite in Iowa
• Immigrant nightmare
• Iowa community rallies to help families after raids
• Church, country face immigration crisis with no borders , an NCR editorial