U.S. Attorney: 595 ‘Illegal Aliens’ Arrested

Action alert from the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (I ran into the 4000-character limit, but posted the full alert at http://mississippihumanrightsreport.net/2008/08/mira-take-action-on-ice-raids/ earlier today):

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The brutal ICE raid now taking place in Laurel and other parts hearkens back to Mississippi’s shameful past of Jim Crow segregation, police brutality and violence. The current state laws, the national anti-immigrant climate and hangovers from Mississippi’s inglorious past made Jones County ripe for ICE to conduct their usual raids that trample on constitutional rights and communities.

Laurel has the distinction of being located in Jones County, headquarters for two notorious racist and anti-immigrant groups, the KKK and MFIRE, the Mississippi branch of FAIR, the national anti-immigrant group.

Earlier this year the Mississippi legislature passed and the Governor signed into law Senate bill 2988, the most draconian employer sanctions law passed to date in the U.S. that further criminalizes workers, especially immigrants, and opens the door for employers to discriminate against Latinos and others.

SB 2988 makes it a felony to work without authorization in Mississippi. SB 2988 imposes a one to five year prison sentence and hefty fines of $1,000 to $10,000. No one has yet been charged under SB 2988.

Today’s ICE raid however opens the door to using both federal and state laws, including SB 2988, in a new way. This has everyone on edge. Mr. Chandler added, “Now we are all waiting to see what will happen to people being arrested at Howard Industries.”

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Please visit the MIRA website to make an on-line donation at:
http://www.yourmira.org

Send in a check or money order, payable to “MIRA,” write in the memo “Relief for families affected by raids” and mail to:
MIRA!
PO 1104
Jackson, MS 39215

To support MIRA’s legal project, call (601) 354-9355
For media inquiries, (601) 968-5182.

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Take Action to Stop the ICE Raids
Call or fax the following officials, demand an END to ICE raids and to stop the attack the rights of immigrant families, workers and communities

Mississippi Congressional Delegations:
House: http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/index.html
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=MS

MS Gov. Haley Barbour
Tel (601) 359-3100 * Fax (601) 359-3741
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Call your Congressional delegation:
Find your Senators telephone and fax numbers at:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Find your Representative’s number at:
http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/index.html

Tell them: Stop all immigration detentions & deportations, end raids:


* ICE raids traumatize families, undermine worker’s rights and violate the rights of citizens and non-citizens.
* Immigration collaboration with local, county and state police and other public agencies undermine community trust and make our communities vulnerable to abuse, violence and exploitation.
* ICE raids and enforcement operations destabilize our communities and disrupt the economy.
* The problem with ICE raids is so fundamental that Department of Homeland Security should end all such enforcement operations.
* Congress must stop the raids and hold hearings on the impact on DHS/ICE on immigration raids and enforcement operations. Restore due process rights and make our communities safe!

To file a complaint against ICE agent on ICE abuses during enforcement operation or immigration raid:
Call the Joint Intake Center ATTN: Duty Agent
Fax (202) 344-3390 and (202) 927-4607
Toll-free: 1 (877) 2INTAKE (1-877-246-8253)

ICE arrested 595 illegal aliens. So? Isn't that their job?

If they aren't here legally they should be arrested and deported.

For good measure, the authorities should also charge the people who are knowingly employing these illegals.

In all honesty, I have to agree. We have a high unemployment rate right now and can fill these positions with US(MS) citizens.

If they are here illegally, they should either be deported or go through do-process to become naturalized tax paying citizens.

I received a call about this a day or two before it happened seeking lawyers to aid in legally assisting immigrants. I didn't know what to do so I referred to them to the Federal Public Defenders Office in Jackson.

Agent Holt claims that �Yesterday�s enforcement action is part of ICE�s ongoing nationwide effort to shut down the employment magnet fueling illegal immigration. . . .�

Regardless, the DA's press release repeatedly points out how many "illegal aliens" were arrested and will be sent to a deportation hearing but is noticeably silent about any actions against the employer.

Why just focus on the undocumented immigrants? If illegal immigration is really such a concern, go after the employers. If they didn't know there are plenty of employers who will hire them, they wouldn't come in such large numbers.

The "talk radio" folks have pointed out that Howard Industries received a $30 million dollar state bond funding to expand their Laurel facility. They were to create 3,000 jobs. The enabling legislation required that Howard only hire "legal residents".

Could the state ask for our money back from Howard?

Keep in mind Howard Industries is totlly owned by the Howard family...so it the family will have a hard time hiding behind a "corporate veil" to limit their personal liability.

This is not like the "Beef Plant" where there was minimal legislative oversight and forethought. Our legislators appeared to have gotton this one right, as far as protecting the states investment.