Feds: Immigrant Raid at Mississippi Plant Largest in U.S. History

[audtatious]

LAUREL, Miss. — The largest single-workplace immigration raid in U.S. history has caused panic among Hispanic families in this small southern Mississippi town, where federal agents rounded up nearly 600 plant workers suspected of being in the country illegally.

One worker caught in Monday's sweep at the Howard Industries transformer plant said fellow workers applauded as immigrants were taken into custody. Federal officials said a tip from a union member prompted them to start investigating several years ago.

Fabiola Pena, 21, cradled her 2-year-old daughter as she described a chaotic scene at the plant as the raid began, followed by clapping.

"I was crying the whole time. I didn't know what to do," Pena said. "We didn't know what was happening because everyone started running. Some people thought it was a bomb but then we figured out it was immigration."

About 100 of the 595 detained workers were released for humanitarian reasons, many of them mothers who were fitted with electronic monitoring bracelets and allowed to go home to their children, officials said.

About 475 other workers were transferred to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Jena, La. Nine who were under 18 were transferred to the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

John Foxworth, an attorney representing some of the immigrants, said eight appeared in federal court in Hattiesburg on Tuesday because they face criminal charges for allegedly using false Social Security and residency identification.

He said the raid was traumatic for families.

"There was no communication, an immediate loss of any kind of news and a lack of understanding of what's happening to their loved ones," he said. "A complete and utter feeling of helplessness."

The superintendent of the county school district said about half of approximately 160 Hispanic students were absent Tuesday.

Roberto Velez, pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Peniel, where an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the 200 parishioners were caught up in the raid, said parents were afraid immigration officials would take them.

"They didn't send their kids to school today," he said. "How scared is that?"

Those detained were from Brazil, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Peru, said Barbara Gonzalez, an ICE spokeswoman.

Elizabeth Alegria, 26, a Mexican immigrant, was working at the plant Monday when ICE agents stormed in. When they found out she has two sons, ages 4 and 9, she was fitted with a bracelet and told to appear in federal court next month. Her husband, Andres, was not so lucky.

"I'm very traumatized because I don't know if they are going to let my husband go and when I will see him," Elizabeth Alegria said through a translator Tuesday as she returned to the Howard Industries parking lot to retrieve her sport utility vehicle.

"We have kids without dads and pregnant mothers who got their husbands taken away," said Velez's son, Robert, youthes it a felony for an illegal immigrant to accept a job in Mississippi. A message was left with the district attorney's office after hours seeking comment on whether he would use the law to bring state charges against Howard Industries or the workers.

The Mississippi raid is one of several nationwide in recent years.

On May 12, federal immigration officials swept into Agriprocessors, the nation's largest kosher meatpacking plant, in Iowa. Nearly 400 workers were detained and dozens of fraudulent permanent resident alien cards were seized from the plant's human resources department, according to court records. In December 2006, 1,297 were arrested at Swift meatpacking plants in Nebraska and five other states.

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Maybe word will get out that all is not well with being an illegal in the US? Build the wall and keep it built and this will not be as much of a problem.

[wingFeather]

It's about time!!! The best part is that people were clapping

[HashiriyaS14]

A wall is going to be both needlessly expensive and less effective than it's proponents might believe.

The only solution to illegal Hispanic immigration is to make it easier to immigrate legally.

So long as immigrants pay their taxes and bring their families so they aren't exporting dollars to Mexico, who cares? Make it easier for them to do these two things, as well as figure out how to spread them out a little more in the United States (i.e. less concentration in the Southwest) and you've got your solution.

It's not a population problem, the US has the resources and space to support a much larger population than it does and still remain prosperous (look at our density vs. Japan).

I do, however, for what it's worth, support raids of this type. Too many illegals are currently not paying taxes and sending all their money back to Mexico, which they need to NOT be doing. If these two problems are solved, I see no issue.

[rn79870]

We had a problem in SoCal a few years ago where employers would work the laborers until payday, then call ICE. I don't think that is happening anymore, but I always wonder. Then it isn't that hard to get a green card compared to getting a job when you lack documentation.

[audtatious]

A wall is going to be both needlessly expensive and less effective than it's proponents might believe.

The only solution to illegal Hispanic immigration is to make it easier to immigrate legally.

So long as immigrants pay their taxes and bring their families so they aren't exporting dollars to Mexico, who cares? Make it easier for them to do these two things, as well as figure out how to spread them out a little more in the United States (i.e. less concentration in the Southwest) and you've got your solution.

It's not a population problem, the US has the resources and space to support a much larger population than it does and still remain prosperous (look at our density vs. Japan).

I do, however, for what it's worth, support raids of this type. Too many illegals are currently not paying taxes and sending all their money back to Mexico, which they need to NOT be doing. If these two problems are solved, I see no issue.

I disagree. We need the open jobs for Americans first. Those who are too lazy to work don't get subsidized/free food until they get a job. If jobs are scarce then shame on us for not providing our citizens with opportunity FIRST.

Additionally, immigrants are causing low-cost housing shortages for our own poor which inflates the prices. College kids and those citizens of ours who are trying to start a new life are having to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for housing which is a negative impact to our own.

Hospitals are folding due to illegals (and those who use the ER for colds) and the excessive use of ER's. Look at Los Ageles itself who has lost multiple hospitals in the last 5 years or so. What about rural American hospitalization when a regional hospital has to close because of the influx of illegals?

Sorry, we need to fix our own infrastructure for our own citizens first.

[telcoman]

I disagree. We need the open jobs for Americans first. Those who are too lazy to work don't get subsidized/free food until they get a job. If jobs are scarce then shame on us for not providing our citizens with opportunity FIRST.

Additionally, immigrants are causing low-cost housing shortages for our own poor which inflates the prices. College kids and those citizens of ours who are trying to start a new life are having to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for housing which is a negative impact to our own.

Hospitals are folding due to illegals (and those who use the ER for colds) and the excessive use of ER's. Look at Los Ageles itself who has lost multiple hospitals in the last 5 years or so. What about rural American hospitalization when a regional hospital has to close because of the influx of illegals?

Sorry, we need to fix our own infrastructure for our own citizens first.

Why aren't the employeers that hire them being punished and fined for labor law/Immigration violations? If the unions had more power this wouldnt be happening.

Great job go punish the children!

Telcoman

[AZhitman]

Why aren't the employeers that hire them being punished and fined for labor law/Immigration violations? If the unions had more power this wouldnt be happening.

Ummm, they are. Happens here in AZ all the time.

Unions have NO authority in these matters.

Do you even comprehend what a "Union" is? What happens when all the illegals join the laborers' union? Think about that for a moment.

I'm finding it harder and harder to believe you're the age you claim, and in the tax bracket you occupy.

[OriginalWheelman]

Why aren't the employeers that hire them being punished and fined for labor law/Immigration violations? If the unions had more power this wouldnt be happening.

Great job go punish the children!

Telcoman

Children suffer all the time for their parents mistakes.

Life sucks get a helmet.

[AZhitman]

You give a damn about the children, Howie?

Just the Mexican children? How about the American children?

Go buy a Chevy. Some poor kid's daddy got laid off because you bought a foreign car.

Shame on you.

It's your fault that kid will grow up to be a prostitute. How else will she make ends meet? It's ALL YOUR FAULT.

[all4sho]

Hell yes........ It's about god damn time!!!!!!!!!!!!