The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — Attorneys have filed a federal class-action lawsuit on behalf of an unspecified number of immigrant workers arrested this week during a raid at a meatpacking plant in Postville.

The lawsuit names the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and several government officials including Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

It was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of an estimated 147 detained immigrant workers and names three of the petitioners: Antonin Trinidad Candido, Roman Trinidad Candido and Maria del Refugio Masias.

The U.S. attorney's office said Monday's raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. meatpacking plant was the largest single raid in U.S. history, resulting in nearly 400 arrests.

A spokesman for the office said he couldn't comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit alleges that government agencies and officials violated the immigrant workers' constitutional rights.

READ MORE: http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/05/16/2008-05-16_federal_classaction_lawsuit_filed_in_iow.html

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