Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Netflix has just dropped a hard-hitting documentary titled ‘After the Raid‘. Short but impactful, the documentary does not shy away from taking a long and hard look at the immigration problem in America. Illegal immigration has plagued the country for a long time, but despite what conservatives will have you believe, not all undocumented workers are evil. A lot of them are just looking for a fresh start in the land of opportunities and actually go above and beyond in their workspace trying to make ends meet. Many big industries have no problems making use of undocumented workers, because they have to pay lesser, and can get away without a paper trail, escaping taxes.
‘After the Raid’ actually focuses on a community reeling from an ICE raid, where numerous workers were rounded up and deported, tearing apart families. We are given a glimpse into this godfearing community, where undocumented workers and citizens live together, sharing comfort and finding solace. Naturally, you might be wondering where in America has this massive raid taken place, and where is the town that has been shown. We have got you covered in that regard.
After the Raid Filming Locations:
‘After the Raid’ is always careful not to make its location or setting take the forefront. This is because the documentary wants to give an air of universality to the immigrants and the community we see. While this is expected to increase relatability, the truth is that a real-life raid did shake this community to the core, and it is mentioned right at the start. We hear of the ICE raid at a meatpacking plant in Grainger County. While the raid itself is not shown, as the title suggests, we see the impact of this raid on the people left behind. Now, you might be wondering about where these people are located.
From the documentary, two locations are abundantly clear, that is, Burke-Toney Stadium and Monte Alban Market. Both of these places are in Morristown, in Tennessee, as is Grainer County. Now that we know that the action of the documentary unfolds in Tennessee, specifically Grainger County and Morristown, you might want to know about the specifics of what went down in these places, and we are here to tell you just that.
Grainger County, Tennessee:
On April 5, 2018, the Southwestern Provision meat-processing plant located in Bean Station, Tennessee, is the place where ICE raid was conducted. According to reports, a helicopter was seen hovering over the plant around 9 am, after which the place was swarming with agents from the I.R.S., Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. They carried out the largest workplace roundup of the decade, arresting 97 people, after they proceeded to block the road leading to and away from the plant, to prevent any attempts to escape.
Bean Station itself is a sleepy lakeside town in Eastern Tennessee, having a population of around 3000 people. The Southeastern Provision plant, which is located just off the road, happens to be the third-largest business in Grainger County.
Morristown, Tennessee:
Although the raid went down at Bean Station, most of the workers did not live there. They were from Morristown, which is a part of Hamblen County, ten miles to the South. The news of the raid struck fear and confusion at the heart of the community, and chaos ensued. Notably, Hamblen County is a contradictory place, since it is deeply conservative, but 11.5 percent of its population is Hispanic. Although Morristown started off as much more conservative, it is growing more diverse by the day, attracting manufacturing businesses, belonging to Japanese, German, and Belgian companies.
In conclusion, Bean Station in Grainger County and Morristown become the two linked places where the ripple effects of the raid are felt. The documentary makes smart use of the locations to drive home the story of the plight of the community.
Read More: After the Raid Review
