Election 2008: What’s At Stake?

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detained 595 suspected illegal immigrants after a raid at a Mississippi electrical parts plant on Monday. The raid targeted Howard Industries, one of the largest employers in Laurel, Miss., a city of about 18,000. Eight of the immigrants are facing federal charges of using stolen social security numbers, according the Laurel Leader Call. So far no charges have been filed against the employer.

The Laurel raid broke the record set last May by a raid in Postville, Iowa, which resulted in the detention of more than 300 illegal immigrants. As in Postville, about 100 pregnant women and mothers of young children were allowed to return home with electronic ankle bracelets, while others were imprisoned and are awaiting trials or deportation. Latinos throughout the area are fearful and uncertain of their fates. Many immigrant parents kept their children out of school following the raid, fearing that ICE would seize them.

The Associated Press reports that the raid was prompted when a union member complained to federal officials that Howard Industries was employing illegal immigrants. Mississippi recently passed a law making it a felony for an illegal immigrant to have a job in the state.

Howard Industries began advertising for new employees almost immediately after the raid, with a billboard declaring “Howard Industries is now hiring!” Phil Hosey, who manages hiring for the company, told the Leader Call that Howard was looking for “transformers, assemblers, coil winders, tech specialists and electricians” and would be offering employment tests “every day of the week…. Anyone who meets the minimum requirements will be allowed to test.” Meanwhile, the Hattiesburg American reports that “about 30 cars were lined up in front of Howard Industries’ Laurel plant [Tuesday] filled with people looking for jobs.”

(AP Photo)