It was a year in the making and involved four different law enforcement agencies, but the end results are in. Several poultry processing plants in Mississippi were raided today, yielding around 680 arrests. Most who were detained are suspected of being illegal aliens.
The operation, headed by ICE on search warrants enacted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Southern District of Mississippi, targeted seven poultry processing plants. Workers were gathered and required to show their legal work or citizenship documentation as well as opening their lockers. Those who failed to do so were taken into custody.
But this wasn’t just about stopping illegal immigration or deporting those in the country illegally. According to The Hill, there have been several complaints of poor working conditions being imposed on workers because they fear reporting incidents that could lead law enforcement to detain themselves or their fellow workers who are not legally allowed to work in America.
Activists and labor unions have long accused the poultry industry of abusing undocumented workers who can’t appeal to the federal government for protection.
Koch Foods, the Illinois-based company that operates some of the raided plants, did not immediately return a request for comment. Koch Foods is not connected to billionaire mega-donor Charles Koch.
This is an example of how things should be done and as a result, it may be the biggest ICE raid in a decade. As our EIC noted, ICE raids should be unannounced, widespread, and ongoing.
Hopefully, this marks the beginning of many successful raids that will be taking place across America. As long as migrants believe they’ll never be forced to leave, they’re going to keep coming across the border illegally.
We are currently forming the American Conservative Movement. If you are interested in learning more, we will be sending out information in a few weeks.
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