Iowa

She noted such information on the plant's safety procedures was being provided in "several languages," the company's absentee policy was "relaxed" and those who had questions or concerns were encouraged to have a face-to-face conversation with their direct supervisor or manager.

"This is a challenging time, and they're feeling anxious," Croston acknowledged. "We believe information is the best tool for fighting this virus. We also encouraging them to tell us what they're seeing."

Those reassurances didn't match what immigrant and refugee organizations across Iowa have been hearing from workers in recent days, said Erica Johnson with American Friends Service Committee of Iowa.

"People were afraid to work. They were almost being gaslighted by management," Johnson said. "The information that is coming out is not what we're hearing. (Workers are) actually afraid, and they need somebody to stand up and take proactive measures."