As part of the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, nearly 700 immigrants believed to be working without legal documentation were taken away from large worksites in Mississippi on August 27, 2019. Over 600 agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, showed up at the worksites for the biggest raid since December 2006.
While it may have seemed sudden, the raids were “the results of a year-long criminal investigation,” according to ICE Acting Director Matthew Albence. Each of the arrested individuals would appear in front of an immigration judge, who would decide as to whether or not they can stay in the country. But lesser known than the crimes of the workers is that five of the raided worksites were operated by companies which for years have intentionally hired undocumented workers for commercial advantage or private financial gain: Koch Foods, Peco Foods, PH Food, A&B, and Pearl River Foods. Affidavits show that authorities believe employers hired workers who used the Social Security numbers of dead people as well as those who wore government-issued GPS ankle bracelets while awaiting deportation hearings.
Though the immigrants needed jobs to support their families, companies went on with their actions, disregarding all potential consequences. The corporate officials in charge of the companies violated employment law, but it was to no one’s surprise that on the day of the raids, they were not among the individuals who were taken away. To make matters worse, there are no records of any company officials being charged in federal court.
The raids left communities broken. Over half of the workforce at the Koch Foods plant, which has annual sales of $3 billion, were detained, leaving the plant with few workers to continue producing and packaging food. The same happened at the other large food plants, negatively impacting local economies. The investigation may have been planned months in advance, but ICE agents clearly underestimated the drastic effects of their operation.
The arrests also left hundreds of children unattended after their second day of school; they were taken to local elementary schools until they could be reunited with extended family members. The circumstances were harsh, especially on younger children. Scott County School District superintendent Tony McGee put it best: “It's tough. It's the second day of school and you're 5-years-old, and you come to school with a mom and dad, and all of a sudden, you get ready to go home and you don't have one.”
About 154 students did not show up for class the day after the raids. Because the local school districts are funded in part based on daily attendance rates, the raids had a potential chance of impacting school funding. Communities kept this to themselves and focused on the wellbeing of children instead of politics. Lee Anne Brandon, director of communications at the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services (MDCPS), explained that though 680 people were arrested, all were affected. “Mississippi is a big small town,” she said. “Everything from our economies to our school systems, to our church and religious and civic groups—We’re all being touched by this in one way or another.”
Of the 680 arrested, 303 undocumented immigrants were released and 377 remained detained. ICE made custody determinations on a case-by-case basis, meaning that the futures of the families in Mississippi were in their hands. With most families, if both parents were arrested, one parent was sent home within 24 hours. However, with one family, it took days before ICE authorities realized they had detained both parents of two children in Mississippi. Bryan Cox, the ICE spokesman, said the parents made no claim of children while being detained, but Ana, the mother, told the authorities that she did have children. She was not released until eight days later, when she then told an ICE official where she was held that her children were home alone. ICE’s careless operation left young children at home without food and their parents.
Many found out about the raids through a video in which an 11-year-old begged: “Government, please show some heart.” Sentimental viewers were quick to reshare the video, causing it to rapidly spread on social media platforms. This turned into a case of hashtag activism, where social media users show support for a cause through means of a like or share. A rising number of reshares led to increased awareness, but nonetheless, it was not enough to help families who were still separated.
With other national issues on the rise, #MississippiICERaids disappeared faster than it appeared on social media platforms. It was replaced by other hashtags created by those who wished to appear civically aware. Social media users believed their jobs were finished once they reshared a post or changed their profile picture to pay their respects to the situation. However, their actions failed to aid the impacted families in any way beyond creating brief discussion on the subject.
Currently, there are more effective ways to help immigrant families affected by the ICE raids in Mississippi than tweeting or posting on Instagram. One can, for instance, donate to an organization like El Pueblo Mississippi, which provides legal services to immigrant families and promotes a community phone line for those affected by the raids. The MacArthur Justice Center and the Mississippi Center for Justice also accept donations and provide legal aid to families through volunteer lawyers who work pro bono.
A few other groups also embraced non-hashtag activism. Reggie Williams, director of missions at the Scott County Baptist Association, said that his organization raised about $24,000 and collected nonperishable food items to make sure that the families were able to have three meals a day. A local school district called Jackson Public Schools also partnered with the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance to help families and students feel safe during a time of anxiety and fear.
Sometimes, a reshare on social media is simply not enough. It is high time that we recognize the continued ignorance posed by social media users and take concrete action toward resolving the tragic effects of ongoing events. It can be anything from donating food to volunteering as a pro bono lawyer, but we must keep “#MississippiICERaids” from disappearing yet again.
Written in August 2019
Also appears in the Stuyvesant Spectator