An insider's account of the Postville case, this book gauges the raid's human, social, and economic impact, based on interaction with the main participants and interviews with local citizens and arrestees in the U.S. and Guatemala. Events are analyzed in the context of the immigration crisis and local, regional, national, and international reactions, through consultation with legal experts, faith-based and community leaders, members of Congress, and foreign dignitaries. In the context of major raids and the policies of the Bush and Obama Administrations, the author interprets the significance of Postville for contemporary social policy and immigration reform, aware that U.S. solutions will ultimately have a profound international impact on migration as a global problem. Intended for the general reader, this book offers scholarly analyses of a landmark case in recent American history, for the entire legal community, policymakers, and all those interested in immigration, labor, regional, border, and Latino studies.