KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The parties involved in a lawsuit about the ICE raid of a Grainger County meatpacking plant have "reached a settlement in principle," according to documents filed with a federal court in the Eastern District of Tennessee.
On August 31, U.S. District Judge Travis McDonough "stayed" the case through September 9, to allow the parties to finalize their settlement agreement, his order said.
On Friday, the parties sent a joint motion, asking the Judge to extend that stay for 10 more days, while they finalize the settlement.
In April 2018, ICE agents raided the Southeastern Provision plant in Grainger County. They detained 97 people, several were deported and many have left the United States.
The lawsuit alleged federal agents racially discriminated against the plant workers and conducted unlawful searches and seizures.
The suit said white workers at the plant were not detained and allowed to move freely about the property, while Hispanic-looking employees were taken to a nearby armory, regardless of their immigration status.
The suit also alleged one of the agents punched a worker in the face and kept his foot on the worker's neck.
At the time it was the largest workplace raid.