Jackson Free Press

Last Monday morning, Aug. 25, federal immigration agents descended on Laurel, Miss., to conduct the largest immigration raid in the country, where they arrested 600 workers at a manufacturing plant. As the news broke regarding the immigration raids in Laurel, I received this note from Barbara, a concerned activist in the area:

"Last night, the Hispanic pastor was on the news, and he is crying out for help for the families left behind. Is there anything your organization can do to help? Nsombi, it is really sad; children are involved and young women with children. … Nsombi, the families here are devastated. The families have been isolated in the communities here. Truly, they need everyone to reach out to them."

As a mother, my heart was broken. What are children doing while their parents are detained? Who is caring for them? Do people like the Hispanic pastor that Barbara mentioned have the resources to watch over the children until their parents are released? What will be their fate as they face deportation?

I thought about the long hours of labor that undocumented workers have given to Mississippi, especially after Hurricane Katrina. How would we have begun to rebuild the Coast without them? They have worked hard and for very little, just to have the opportunity to live in the U.S. As the rebuilding efforts begin to slow down, on the eve of the third anniversary of Katrina, the same people whose blood, sweat and tears have helped the Coast come back to life were arrested.

The final straw was that Immigration and Customs Enforcement were not following due process. The U.S. Constitution applies to everyone living in this country. Undocumented workers have rights, and those were violated. After several hours of detaining and questioning workers at the plant without giving the opportunity to consult with family or lawyers, ICE agents whisked the workers away to an undisclosed location. The night of the raid and well into the next day, we had no idea where they were being held or how many there were or what to tell their families.

I am deeply concerned that workers are reporting similar practices to what we have seen during the Swift raids in 2006, when workers were segregated by race or ethnicity, interrogated and denied access to counsel. Our office has been on the ground monitoring developments with the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance and other organizations since Monday and plan to be there for the duration to monitor the government's actions and ensure they are consistent with the Constitution.

When I think about the state of Mississippi, my birthplace, I think about a state full of hospitality. I think about a state that honors families and children. I am shocked that some of my fellow Mississippians are proud that we have taken hundreds of mothers and fathers away from their children. And what is their crime? Working to build a better life for their families.

The state of Mississippi has hosted the largest raid in United States history, and we should be ashamed.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi calls on the federal government to ensure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement performs its duties with the utmost respect for workers' constitutional rights and due process.

Nsombi Lambright is the executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi. To report any violations of due process or to get more information, call 601-355-6464.