Immigration authorities in a shocking move in major Mississippi cities raided local businesses and food processing plants, rounding up 680 undocumented immigrants. Friends and family members are still in shock that such extensive raids even occurred. A crowd of hundreds waited outside a plant in Morton, Mississippi begging for the release of their loved ones and answers to what had happened. Among them were young teens and children sobbing for their parents, waiting for word on what exactly happened to their parents. ICE conducted this raid without contacting the state department of children and families and have yet to contact anyone to assist with the children who were left without their parents since the raid.
Hundreds of volunteers distributed donated food from local organizations and local community members. Rather than eating, most children sobbed as they waited alongside volunteers. “I need my dad … he’s not a criminal,” one little girl cried. A local gym owner stated, “I understand the law and how everything works and how everything has a system. But everyone needs to hold the kids first and foremost in their minds.”
Just a few hours after crowds waited news outside the plant, children were reunited with their parents and family members. But this wasn’t the case for every person as many waited hours to hear of any news regarding the release of their family members. As bus loads came in, children stood frozen wondering if their family members would be sent to immigration detention facilities. “It’s exhausting, really. … I couldn’t even hold back my tears, and I don’t really cry. But it was just heartbreaking watching all of this,” said a woman waiting for news on family members.
Authorities state that the immigration sweep at food processing plants in six major cities was a record-setting operation. The arrests came as a result of administrative and criminal search warrants executed by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations, federal officials said. “Today, through the hard work of these men and women, we are once again becoming a nation of laws,” US Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi Mike Hurst said as he announced the arrests Wednesday.
Many immigration advocates criticized the move as un-american, stating that manychildren came home to their parents missing, which occurred on their first day of school. The local mayor stated that he was concerned about the impacts the raids may have on local government and the economy. “I recognize that ICE comes under the Department of Homeland Security, and this is an order of the United States. There’s nothing I don’t think anybody can do about it,” he said. “But my main concern is now, what happens to the children?” ICE acting director stated that some parents would be
released with ankle monitors but allowed to go back home.
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Source link: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/08/us/mississippi-immigration-raids