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John Daley Reporting The sweep rounded up 145 suspects at a meat packing plant in Hyrum.
Some have been deported and others are in various Wasatch Front jails awaiting a court hearing. Many have children and spouses.
Now community groups are scrambling to help those families get through the holidays.
At Centro Civico in Salt Lake a meeting of community leaders is just getting underway.
Both a food drive and a toy drive are being organized on behalf of hundreds of family members of those arrested in Cache County this week.
Wednesday night at a church in Hyrum hundreds of people gathered. There were spouses and children of the nearly 150 undocumented workers arrested in an immigration-identity theft crack-down.
The prevailing feeling there: fear and uncertainty.
Consider the challenge faced by Alejandra Ayala, mother of a two-year-old who was awaiting word from her husband about whether he would be deported.
Alejandra Ayala, Wife of Arrested Worker: "I feel I don't know. It's just hard I guess for my daughter the most because she's the one who asks for him. I don't know what to tell her about when daddy will be back. Ok she says. I think that's the most hard for me when she asks for her daddy and I don't know what to tell her."
Community advocates like Tony Yapias have been coordinating with churches and immigration attorneys to find out more information from the government, but it's a tall order.
Tony Yapias, Community Leader: "In some cases, they still don't know where their loved ones are. The 800 number that's been provided is not quite reaching out to them as much as they thought it would."
Most families are turning to the community for help.
Alejandra Ayala, Wife of Arrested Worker: "The church here, family, friends, they're trying to help, what they can."
A variety of groups in Cache County and the Wasatch Front are now pitching in as well, organizing both a food drive and a toy drive, collecting items now for delivery before Christmas.
Tony Yapias: "What we're trying to do is to at least get them have a good Christmas despite the fact of everything that has happened."
Food and toys can be dropped off at Centro Civico Mexicano at 155 South 600 West in Salt Lake City.
If you'd like to help, or are looking for more information, call 577-3200.
