2018 Southeastern Provisions raid

The 2018 Southeastern Provisions raid was a workplace raid that occurred on April 5, 2018 at Southeastern Provisions, a cattle slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility in Grainger County, Tennessee, United States, near the town of Bean Station.[1]

2018 Southeastern Provisions raid
Southeastern Provisions facility
DateApril 5, 2018 (2018-04-05)
Time9:00 a.m. Eastern (EST)
VenueSoutheastern Provisions LLC slaughterhouse and meatpacking facility
Location1617 Helton Road, Bean Station, Tennessee, United States
Coordinates36.287884°N 83.396065°W / 36.287884; -83.396065 (2018 Southeastern Provisions raid)
TypeWorkplace raid
CauseInvestigation into workplace violations, tax evasion
TargetJames Brantley
Participants
Arrests12
Suspects86
ChargesConspiracy to harbor illegal immigrants, wire fraud, tax evasion, violating federal labor and environmental laws

The facility was raided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).[2][3] 11 workers were arrested and 86 more were detained, all of whom were suspected of residing in the United States unlawfully.[2] At the time, the raid was reportedly the largest workplace raid in United States history.[3]

Southeastern Provisions investigation

Southeastern Provisions is a cattle slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility that began operations under the ownership of James Brantley. It is one of the largest sources of employment in Grainger County.[4] The plant was under investigation a year previous to the raid by the IRS after the agency hearing reports from local banking officials stating that Brantley was making weekly withdrawals of $100,000 to make in cash payroll for workers. Reports have suggested that Brantley hired an estimated amount of 150 undocumented workers in an attempt to reduce business expenses as much as possible.[5]

In May 2017, federal agents placed an informant to work at the facility. The individual was hired without documentation and was paid in cash. The informant had observed harsh working conditions such as workers handling hazardous materials with no personal protective equipment and another losing several fingers while operating an electric saw.[6]

A month prior the raid, Southeastern Provision's septic system had failed, causing waste to disperse into groundwater in the surrounding area, contaminating several wells used by numerous households.[7]

The raid

On April 5, 2018, a federal search warrant executed by the IRS, ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol had the agencies raid Southeastern Provisions around 9:00 a.m. Federal agents had discovered 104 undocumented workers employed at the facility, detaining 86 and arresting 11. IRS officials had obtained information concluding that James Brantley had paid the undocumented workers at a rate of $8–10 dollars an hour, with no extra pay for overtime.[8] Law enforcement officials had surrounded the perimeter of the plant's complex, blocking every exit and then flooded the plant with armed officers telling those inside to freeze.[9]

Reymunda Lopez, one of the detained plant workers, described the raid as very hostile situatuion:

"They gathered us in the middle of all of the cattle, and told us to put our hands behind our heads, and not to resist arrest because if they did they were going to hand cuff us."

— Reymunda Lopez, WJHL News Channel 11

Those detained were sent to await further instructions at a National Guard center in Morristown in neighboring Hamblen County.[10]

Aftermath

Community and political impact

In the immediate aftermath of the immigration raid, over 500 Hispanic students in the neighboring city of Morristown skipped school the following day in fear of being deported along with several arrested at Southeastern Provisions.[11] Many churches and non-profit organizations in the Morristown-Hamblen area had planned together activities for those who had family or friends involved in the raid.[12] An estimated crowd of 300 individuals led a protest against ICE and the Trump administration, which had then recently planned the raids of workplaces across the United States.[13]

The support given to the immigrant families became a talking point for the political realm of the area's impacted by the raid.[6] Politicians from Hamblen and Grainger counties provided various comments on the raid and its impact on their represented communities.[6]

“It involves more focus when things land in our lap. There are many who’ve hollered that we want illegal immigrants gone. At the same time, we don’t think children need to go to bed at night afraid.”[6]

— Gary Chesney, Mayor of the City of Morristown, Rolling Stone

In Grainger County, then county mayor Mark Hipsher invoked uproar from the county's many conservative residents after making statements that provided a sympathetic approach to those detained.[6] Hipsher was later defeated the county's Republican primary.[6]

When asked to speak about the raid by a Rolling Stone reporter, a Grainger County Republican politician suggested that the reporter 'expose' a political rival who had allegedly hired undocumented workers.[6]

Steve Cohen, a Democratic representative representing Tennessee's 9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, condemned the actions of ICE performed at Southeastern Provisions, stating:

"This is unacceptable. The raid in Bean Station has created a humanitarian crisis in our very own state. We’ll be educating candidates in this year’s elections about the devastating impact of worksite raids and their responsibility as elected officials to speak out against these injustices and use the power of their office to limit the damage ICE can do to our communities."[14]

— Steve Cohen, United States House Representative of Tennessee's 9th congressional district, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition

In September 2018, James Brantley was found guilty of multiple state and federal crimes, including tax evasion, wire fraud, employing immigrants not authorized to work in the US, and many other workplace violations, and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and was forced to pay over 1.3 million dollars to the IRS, and 1.42 million in restitution.[15][16][17]

In 2019, many of the workers that had been detained and later released had filed a lawsuit against ICE with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Immigration Law Center on their behalf.[18]

On July 6, 2020, James Brantley filed and signed a consent order agreeing to shell out an estimated $610,000 dollars in a three-year period in pay to 150 current and former workers of Southeastern Provisions, most of whom are Hispanic.[19] The United States Department of Labor sued Brantley for failing to properly compensate workers at the slaughterhouse.[20]

In film

The consequences of the raid for undocumented workers, their families and members of the impacted communities, were documented in After the Raid,[21] a 2019 documentary film by film director Rodrigo Reyes. The film was released on the streaming platform Netflix.[22][23]

References
  1. Moore, Robert (April 6, 2018). "IRS, I.C.E. officials raid Grainger County meat packing plant". The Citizen Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  2. Dorman, Travis; Satterfield, Jamie (April 5, 2018). "ICE raids Grainger County meatpacking plant amid charges owners avoided $2.5M in payroll taxes". Knox News. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  3. Burke, Sheila (April 6, 2018). "Immigration raid takes 97 into custody at Tennessee plant". ABC News. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  4. Sallinger, Marc (April 16, 2018). "Following ICE raid, Grainger County mayor worries about local economy". WBIR Channel 10 News. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  5. Flynn, Dan (August 5, 2019). "Meatpacking plant owner dodged employment taxes with cash payments". Food Safety News. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  6. Carpenter, Zoe (December 17, 2018). "When ICE Comes to Town". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  7. North, John (April 6, 2018). "Records: Grainger plant septic failure caused contamination scare in March". WBIR Channel 10 News. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  8. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office (September 12, 2018). "Southeastern Provision Owner James Brantley Pleads Guilty to Federal Information". U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Tennessee. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  9. Pagan, Gabriella (February 21, 2019). "Workers detained in Bean Station ICE raid filing suit, claiming rights violations". WATE 6 On Your Side. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  10. Pagan, Gabriella (April 5, 2019). "Impacts still felt one year after ICE raid at Grainger County slaughterhouse". WATE 6 On Your Side. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  11. Speri, Devereaux, Alice, Ryan (April 10, 2018). "THE DAY AFTER TRUMP'S ICE RAID IN A SMALL TENNESSEE TOWN, 550 KIDS STAYED HOME FROM SCHOOL". The Intercept. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  12. Blitzer, Jonathan (April 19, 2018). "In Rural Tennessee, a Big ICE Raid Makes Some Conservative Voters Rethink Trump's Immigration Agenda". The New Yorker. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  13. Jordan, Miriam (June 8, 2018). "ICE Came for a Tennessee Town's Immigrants. The Town Fought Back". The New York Times. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  14. "TWO MONTHS AFTER THE RAID: AN UPDATE FROM MORRISTOWN". Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition. June 13, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  15. Lakin, Matt (September 12, 2018). "Bean Station ICE raid: Slaughterhouse owner pleads guilty to hiring undocumented workers". Knoxville News-Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee. Retrieved 2019-07-28.
  16. "2018 Grainger County ICE raid subject of Netflix documentary". WATE 6 On Your Side. 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  17. Moore, Robert (August 1, 2018). "Southeastern Provision owner sentenced to 18 months". Citizen Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  18. Pagan, Gabriella (February 21, 2019). "Workers detained in Bean Station ICE raid filing suit, claiming rights violations". WATE Channel 6 News. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  19. Moore, Robert (July 7, 2020). "Jailed slaughterhouse owner reaches civil suit settlement". The Citizen Tribune. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  20. Dorman, Travis (July 9, 2020). "Bean Station slaughterhouse raided by ICE ordered to pay workers $610,000". The Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  21. After the Raid at IMDb
  22. "After the Raid". Netflix. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  23. "Netflix documentary, 'After the Raid,' highlights the emotional fallout of April 2018 ICE raid". WBIR Channel 10 News. December 19, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
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