These Tweets About The Mississippi ICE Raid Point Out A Heartbreaking Fact
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided food processing plants in a handful of small towns across the state of Mississippi. The raid ended in hundreds of arrests, but these tweets about the Mississippi ICE raid point out another heartbreaking fact about the ordeal. Listen up, everyone.
On Aug. 8, ICE agents arrested 680 people, mainly Latinx immigrant workers, while raiding food processing plants in small towns near Jackson, Mississippi, according to USA Today. The towns included Bay Springs, Carthage, Canton, Morton, Pelahatchie, and Sebastapol. Per local news source The Clarion Ledger, the raids began during the night on Aug. 7, and continued up until 10 a.m. local time on Aug. 8. This raid is believed to be the "largest single-state immigration enforcement operation" in United States history, according to an Aug. 8 statement from U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi Mike Hurst. On the afternoon of Aug. 8 ICE released some 300 of those detained, according to the Ledger.
Following the raids, many people on Twitter were immediately outraged over the detentions and their timing. Others pointed out a fact that's heartbreaking to hear — for many children in the area, school is back in session or is just a few days away, meaning that young children may have gone to school in the morning, and gotten out to find their parents missing. Schools in Canton and Pelahatchie started on Aug. 7, and students in Sebastapol, Carthrage, and Morton started on Aug. 6. Schools in Bay Spring start on Aug. 19. Taking all of this into account, this ICE raid means that children might not have a parent to help them prepare for their first day of school or the rest of the year.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) referred Elite Daily's request for comment to ICE, which did not immediately return Elite Daily's request for comment on the raids and their timing.
Once news broke of the ICE raid, people on Twitter immediately started voicing their opinions.
According to CNN, volunteers in Forest, Mississippi have taken children in to stay with them after family members were arrested by ICE. Many of the children are reportedly being sheltered at a local gym. However, it's still up in the air if and when these children will be reunited with their families.
This ICE raid in Mississippi might have been one of the biggest yet, but it represents the Trump administration's promise that there will be more crackdowns on migrant families. President Donald Trump announced on June 17 that ICE would start targeting and arresting immigrants in the United States. However, the initial raid start date was delayed until July. There were reports of ICE raids in New York on July 13, but massive deportations failed to materialize until the Aug. 8 raid in Mississippi.
In an emailed statement to Elite Daily on July 11, ICE spokesperson Matthew Bourke said he couldn't offer specific details of the raids due to "law enforcement sensitivities." The statement read in part,
As always, ICE prioritizes the arrest and removal of unlawfully present aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. ... However, all of those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and — if found removable by final order — removal from the United States.
This ICE raid could impact hundreds of children within Mississippi. If you want to learn more about how you can respond to ICE raids happening your community, here's what you should know.
