Filmmakers document consequences of U.S. immigration raid

Yareni De Anda
09/25/09
5:45pm
This article is about a documentary focusing on one of the larges raids of undocumented immigrants that took place in Postville, Iowa. The documentary, “In the Shadow of the Raid” was shown in Morelia, Mexico two weeks after the workers were deported. In this documentary, the filmmakers discuss the effects on the town, Postville, as well as the people from the town and the families of the migrants back in Guatemala.
The filmmakers focused on one particular case of a migrant that had been working at this meatpacking plant for only 20 min before ICE deported him. He returned to his family in Guatemala safe but disappointed and worried about the medical bills for his mother’s cancer treatment that he still had to pay.
Even though the filmmakers were not trying to judge whether raids/migrants are right or wrong, they do attempt to show the real necessity behind this decision of migrating to the U.S. and the effects that being kept from being able to work in the U.S. have. It was evident that they were trying to prove that the myth that people have about being able to get rid of all undocumented migrants is completely detrimental not only to the US’s economy but also to innocent people who’s only hope of a better life is the U.S.

This documentary as many others I have watched, made me realize how much we as human beings have left to learn and do. Even tough it is a harsh reality that I cannot yet accept I will keep trying to become as informed as I can about the topic of migration. Since it is a major consequence of a system that was created to keep the poor at the bottom without any chance of a better life, I will keep trying to learn from different patterns of migration around the world to try to one day make it change. I particularly found this documentary important as well as joyful in the sense that it communicates and reminds me that to this day there are people out there that do not ignore those who struggle everyday.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2009/09/filmmakers-document-consequences-of-us-immigration-raid.html