9.4% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over. Ethnic groups In 2017 about one quarter of Postville's population were recent immigrants from Latin America and Somalia; Greg Flakus of Voice of America stated that this was ethnically diverse compared to most Iowa towns, which are almost uniformly non-Hispanic white, even though "Postville is not all that diverse" compared to major American metropolitan areas. The earliest immigrants were from England, Germany, and Scandinavia. Orthodox Jews established Agriprocessors circa 1987; its founders came from New York City. At its peak, there were about 100 Orthodox Jewish families in Postville. After the 2008 raid, the number declined, and in 2017 there were about 50. Postville has services for Jewish families typically seen in larger communities. It also has a Jewish elementary school and a yeshiva. A Judaic library opened in 2005, but closed after the raid. The 2008 raid led to the arrests of Hispanics; the resulting lack of labor drew Somalis to Postville from Minnesota and Wisconsin to work in the area kosher factory. Mother Jones said this caused a "cultural shift". Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America discusses the arrival of the Orthodox Jews. Economy Postville's growth was due to the presence of two large meat processing plants, Agriprocessors and Iowa Turkey Products. The Iowa Turkey Products plant burned in December 2003; it was rebuilt in Marshall, Minnesota. Agriprocessors, a kosher meat plant, was the largest of its type in the world. As of February 2008 it employed about 900 people and purchased $100 million worth of livestock annually. In May 2008, it was the target of a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid. Subsequently, a criminal complaint was filed against Agriprocessors and its principal for alleged violations of child labor laws. As a result of its legal problems, Agriprocessors became insolvent and was run by a Chapter 11 bankruptcy trustee until SHF Industries bought it at auction in July 2009. It resumed business as Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC under the new ownership. , 700 people, more than 30% of the total population, work at Agri Star; about 100 are of Somali origin. Postville is also the home of a composites factory, Norplex-Micarta, started in 1975. The Norplex factory produces laminated plastics plate, sheet, and profile shapes.