"They are putting aside a little money as often as they can for such a situation," Ponce said. "It is a heavy burden, but it is realistic."
Other legal advice included warnings not to sign a voluntary deportation form and to demand an immigration attorney, Ponce said.
Rosas said UFCW's bilingual kit will explain workers' rights and offer practical advice for dealing with immigration problems. Among the documents in the kit are sample letters immigrants can use to better respond to the federal government's inquiries about problems with Social Security numbers.
"There is always the same fear now -- everywhere you go," said Rosas.
The detailed extent of family preparations by undocumented workers surprised officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the meatpacking industry's trade group, the American Meat Institute. Both groups told The Associated Press they were unaware of them.
"I haven't heard of any companies actively trying to prepare workers, because if a company knows they are undocumented they are not supposed to be hiring them anyway," Austin said.
Employers can face charges if they knowingly hire illegal workers.
"Hiring illegal workers just doesn't make good business sense. Employee turnover is very disruptive," said Dave Ray, spokesman for the American Meat Institute.
Ray noted the meatpacking industry was a pioneer in the early use of Basic Pilot, which he called a valuable, but not foolproof, tool.
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