Families, friends gather at plant

8:55 a.m. update: Families and friends are starting to gather near the Swift & Co. plants in northeast Greeley as immigration officials conduct a raid.

In a brief discussion outside the plant this morning, two women wanted answers from a Swift public affairs officer.

Lupe Papia's mother, a 19-year employee at Greeley's meatpacking plant, took today off in honor of the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe — a day to that commemorates Our Lady of Guadalupe's supposed appearance to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City in the 1500s.

She went to mass at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church early this morning, but soon after the service, she heard that federal immigration agents were at Swift & Co.'s plant.

Immediately, Papia and her mother headed over to the plant and started trying to reach co-workers inside the plant, but they couldn't get a hold of anyone. Papia wanted to know why immigration officials would choose a holy day for the raid. She told the public affairs officer, Barbara Gonzalez, that she was offended by that.

Papia also said the plant workers were just trying to work.