No worker in this country deserves to be harassed on the job, herded around by armed federal agents, and detained miles away from their homes and families without representation just for showing up to work.

But that’s what we saw in recent worksite raids like the ones conducted last month by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a short-sighted move that prompted a federal judge in Denver on January 12 to order that the agency account for the 262 detained Greeley Swift packing plant workers and ensure they receive due process.

ICE’s actions are just another example of why our broken immigration system needs to be fixed now. These raids do little to protect our national security and help fuel an underground economy in which unscrupulous employers exploit immigrants and drag down standards for all workers. In the absence of a comprehensive solution, employers can continue to use unnecessary force, intimidation, and fear tactics against hardworking, taxpaying immigrants which will only make America’s problems worse.

Read more about immigration reform on the Change to Win Web site.