Nearly 600 Detained In Immigration Raid

Mississippi Plant Raid Sends Shockwave Of Fear Through Immigrant Community As Families Separated

(CBS/AP)  The largest single-workplace immigration raid in U.S. history has caused panic among Hispanic families in this 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. On Monday federal agents in unmarked cars and white vans raided the plant in Laurel, sealing off entrances rounding up suspects, reports CBS affiliate WJTV-TV.

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 those detained 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.

Some 475 other workers were transferred to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Jena, Louisiana. 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 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 the district's approximately 160 Hispanic students were absent Tuesday.

Roberto Velez, pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Peniel, where an estimated 30 to 40 percent the 200 parishioners were caught up in the raid, said children were kept out of school because parents feared 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," Alegria said through a translator Tuesday as she returned to the Howard Industries parking lot to retrieve her sport utility vehicle.

Howard Industries is in Mississippi's Pine Belt region, known for commercial timber growth and chicken processing plants. The tech company produces dozens of products ranging from electrical transformers to medical supplies, according to its Web site.

Gonzalez, the ICE spokeswoman, said agents had executed search warrants at both the plant and the company headquarters in nearby Ellisville.

She said no company executives had been detained, but this is an "ongoing investigation and yesterday's action was just the first part."

A woman at the Ellisville headquarters told The Associated Press on Tuesday that no one was available to answer questions.

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.

[toolmangler-2009]

600 down, 19 million, 9 hundred and 99 thousand 400 to go.

[starleo146]

yep exactly and then we can take care of the legals not the illegals

[starleo146]

yep exactly and then we can take care of the legals not the illegals

[dgilmor1]

Thank God for ICE, when they talk about the jobs Americans won''t do. I know many born Americans that would love to find a job for $10.00 - $13.95 an hour. That is what they were being paid that is not right, because once they get in you can not. Many city job''s go that way to such as Richardson, Texas. People would love to have city and county jobs. This was a union job correct, give me a break.

[dronemonk]

Undocumented immigrant workers? In a manufacturing plant? Send in the feds! Everyone knows that there''s no room for either immigrant workers or manufacturing jobs in our fascist/authoritarian 21st century USA.

[bhappy2-2]

ALRIGHT! Way to go, although I disagree with releasing ANY of them. Even with electronic monitoring these ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADERS will continue being a severe drain on America. That''s a good start, now GO GET SOME MORE!

[reidhb]

I am glad that these people have been rounded up and arrested. It is a scandle on the US face and flag and name that these people have been allowed to live work and benifit from life here without having to go through the process of becoming binafide citizens.

[reidhb]

katy couric is sweet and loveable but the real news is not. Get a klew you mormons

[patriot12436]

Finally our govt is doing what it is supposed to be doing, enforcing the laws of this country. I hope they continue to keep raiding these places and by law i hope the plants are forced out of business.

[missingamerica]

Why wait several years?

1) They waited until the union was busted.
2) The payola wasn`t recieved to stop this year`s raid
3) With new administration coming may get convictions

I like 3.

Posted by Nancy_Naive at 10:19 PM : Aug 26, 2008

lolll...I think the likelihood that the new Administration might ask your first question may have had a role...

What I want to know is:

Illegals, in a technology manufacturing plant?

Who keeps saying the illegals only take "jobs Americans won''t do"?

And 600 of them? What the hell? Did the company place help wanted ads offshore?

[merlgrey]

finally. a little backbone being shown towards the illegal immigration. dont stop there, seize all thier unpaid bank financed 40k suvs and personal assets for back taxes before it all disapears across the border on the american taxpayers back. and boo hoo to all the bleeding heart suckers out there. being humanitarian is much different than allowing an invasion and trampling of your country.

[krotec54]

Yes it is a felony for an illegal immigrant to accept a job in Mississippi or in any other state in America.
And 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 and the illegal immigrant workers.

[ankouemo]

The sad part is that the children of those "supposedly" illegal immigrant are also fighting for us in IRAK and AFGHANISTAN. Should we take them off the from lines and send them home too????????????

[mnbrant]

600 down, 19 million, 9 hundred and 99 thousand 400 to go.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ToolMangler at 08:25 PM : Aug 26, 2008

(Laugh ToolMangler) Sounds like my credit card debt.

[patriot12436]

aukeome
If they entered the service legally and want to stay in the service they shoiuld be allowed. But if their parents came here illegally then they should be deported.

[patriot12436]

skyfive
it will get even safer, i am returning to the states next week. I have been thinking about volunteering to do investigations to have something to do and give back to my community. This would be an excellent area for me to work in. I love catching the bad guys but have never abused a prisoner.

[messiahx4eve]

ankouemo, if you truly believe that children of "illegals" are fighting in an "illegal" war, I would guess that is a touch of real irony. I don''t believe that any children of illegals are actually knowingly fighting in bush''s oil war.

[airboatboy]

I wonder what would happen to an American that snuck into Mexico and got caught working. Ya think anyone would feel sorry for them?

[messiahx4eve]

"We have kids without dads and pregnant mothers who got their husbands taken away," said Velez''s son, Robert, youth pastor at the church. "It was like a horror story. They got handled like they were criminals."

The REASON they got handled like CRIMINALS was BECAUSE they were CRIMINALS. Being here ILLEGALLY is a FELONY. That means that anything you bought here, sold here, have as far as property, vehicles or otherwise is ILLEGAL. The CORPORATIONS arranging for these people to be here needs to either be heavily fined or shut down all together, perhaps relocating them (The CORPORATIONS) to Mexico or anywhere else they sponsor ILLEGALS to work, they could provide the people there with jobs would keep them from coming here ILLEGALLY. WE are the victims here, not THEM.

[longtree-2009]

As this News story clearly indicates, illegals are from several South American countries and not just Mexico. Wondering why the Plant owners and management were not arrested for harboring illegals? Illegals will continue to come from all over the world, because American citizens hire them.

[longtree-2009]

As this News story clearly indicates, illegals are from several South American countries and not just Mexico. Wondering why the Plant owners and management were not arrested for harboring illegals? Illegals will continue to come from all over the world, because American citizens hire them.

[longtree-2009]

As this News story clearly indicates, illegals are from several South American countries and not just Mexico. Wondering why the Plant owners and management were not arrested for harboring illegals? Illegals will continue to come from all over the world, because American citizens hire them.

[shanev137]

I don''t feel sorry for illegal immigrants who fraudulently us social security numbers to obtain employment.

Nice try....but I''ll never feel sorry for criminals who knowingly break the law.

We need to get all the illegals the hell out of our country right now.

[closethippy1]

EVERYBODY PLEASE YOUTUBE DENNIS KUCINICH SPEECH AND LISTEN TO THIS GUY.
WHY THE F'''' IS THE MEDIA IGNORING WHAT HE HAD TO SAY?
WHY? WHY? WHY?!

[u-r-right]

Fantastic news! Yet the laws need to be tweaked so that all these offspring that the illegals pop out are considered illegal as well. In no way should they become a automatic citizen just because their criminal parents did not use birth control.

I would also like to see some heavy fines levied against this company. They intentionally hired these people and broke the law as well.

[lewiston14]

Well Americans start doing your part. If you know of anybody using illegal immigrants REPORT it to the state or the feds. Don''t matter if it is 10 or 1000 REPORT it. do it today and keep doing it.

[klingon69]

Fantastic news! Yet the laws need to be tweaked so that all these offspring that the illegals pop out are considered illegal as well. In no way should they become a automatic citizen just because their criminal parents did not use birth control.
Posted by u-r-right at 06:29 AM : Aug 27, 2008
Rewrite the 14th admendment. Require that at lest one of the parents be citizen, or in the process of obtaining citizenship, before the child is considered a citizen.

[yermamadid]

Serves them right, they came across our borders with the INTENT of taking our jobs as illegal aliens. I also hope the company involved suffers for hiring them. They should be subjected to huge fines. I have no sympathy for them or their illegals nor their children and families. Yep, I have become hardened to their cause!!!

[displeased]

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!!!!!!!! It''''s about time the govermnent stepped up and starting doing their jobs. Also, I say ship the owners of the company that hired them back to Mexico along with all the illegals!!!
Posted by ban-one1

ban-one1, my feeling is mutual. If a business is employing illegals, shut them down.

[flajoe1]

"allegedly using false Social Security "

I always wondered how it is possible for the Fed Gov to collect taxes on a fake SSN. After all they are the ones who give out the numbers you would think they would notice they are collecting taxes on a SSN they never gave out.

I already know the answer. The Gov collects billions in taxes from illegals that they do not have to pay back in SS retirement or medicare benefits after they are deported. FREE MONEY!!!!

[lewiston14]

"Give me your poor, your tired your huddled masses yearning to breath free"

This is 2008 we dont need them anymore. That was old thinking way back. The first ones were legal, This has now become a joke what was should still be. Keep you tired huddled masses home. We dont want them. We are tired enough. 100 percent ban on immigration.

[omnibus66]

A similar raid on the hotels in Vegas would probably net at least 10,000 illegals.

I have been going to Vegas for many years and have yet to see a hotel maid that could speak english.

[oleander8]

In a perfect world people should be able to live wherever they want in the world...yeah, yeah, yeah...I know, it ain''t a perfect world.

[zorar-2009]

Bus the illegals back to Mexico ...make the Mississippi factory hire only white trailer park residents..

[hwy71so]

If they were here LEGALLY there wouldn''t be a need for panic. Everything would be fine. But, no, they choose to circumvent our laws!

Send ''em back south!!!!!!!

[zorar-2009]

No McCain, No Illegals

[zorar-2009]

No speedy Gonzales need apply!

[cheetah-man7]

Send them south..... good riddance to bad rubbish!

[zorar-2009]

The hard working US citzens should feel sorry for a bunch illegal free loaders ...ya right! Go back to Tijuana an eat a taco!

[rushliberal]

Hmm, But you don''t see the INS raiding any companies in Republican States - DO YOU!

[zorar-2009]

As Clint Eastwood aka: Rowdy Yates in "Rawhide" would say: "Head em up & move em
Out"!

[u-r-right]

Go to any Mexican restaurant or those little Mexican convenience stores that are popping up her and there and you''ll be sure to find illegals working there. I know of one particular restaurant aoround here that was fined because they were running it as a halfway house for new arrivals.

[zorar-2009]

Or as my grandmother would say: "If they don''t pay rent kick them out"!

[flajoe1]

"I have been going to Vegas for many years and have yet to see a hotel maid that could speak english."

Would you be able to afford that hotel stay if the entire staff was legal and paid proper American wages?

[underdogus87]

If we AMERICANS weren''t so lazy, WE would be working the jobs that they "take" from us!!

[hwy71so]

"""Would you be able to afford that hotel stay if the entire staff was legal and paid proper American wages?

Posted by Flajoe1 at 07:56 AM : Aug 27, 2008"""

What does that have to do with anything? Americans working in America keeps our economy strong. Not Americans on welfare while illegals work for unaccounted for wages and overload our hospitals with their anchor baby making machines! Go back to Cuba Jose!

I see women all the time who have children, siblings with different last names... I mean, they don''t even KNOW commitment or loyalty. Why should we allow them to cast anchors in OUR sea? Their men walking around with their tatoos, chains and pants that are about 8 sizes too big living off their mojars until they get bored with the one and go find another so they can throw more babies and smoke more crack!

[zorar-2009]

If we AMERICANS weren''''t so lazy, WE would be working the jobs that they "take" from us!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by underdogus87 at 08:02 AM : Aug 27, 2008

If companies wouldn''t hire cheap undocumented worker & CEO wern''t worried about greed & lining their pockets with green covered with the blood of illegals!
Ya dude whatever you say!

[mjvw2]

As Clint Eastwood aka: Rowdy Yates in "Rawhide" would say: "Head em up & move em Out"!

Posted by zorar

lmao

[zorar-2009]

mjvw2 ...what does "Imao" mean?

[crazycwp]

Even though I have a soft spot in my heart for the Mexican culture, I agree that they need to come here legally. It''s not fair to the LEGAL immigrants for them to be here. The big thing the makes me sad is the families that are gonna be split up.