History was made in Mississippi on Wednesday. According to the Washington Post, ICE officials reported the 680 people arrested at their work place today was the largest single-state immigration enforcement action in U.S. history. Food processing plants at various locations in our state were raided in mid- morning and immigrants who were thought to be residing in the country illegally were placed on buses and carried to a detention location. This detention will be the first step toward deportation. For the children left alone as a result of this raid, it was extremely traumatic as they learned about it. Some children walked home from their first day of school to empty houses. Others were picked up by family members, friends, or neighbors and given a place to sleep for the night. The uncertainty must be incredibly frightening.
This is not written to stimulate yet another debate about immigration laws, but it is written to ask the questions related to the children left behind. Who will become responsible for their care and well-being? Many of them were born in this country and are American citizens, yet they are children who are not old enough to work, drive, or financially care for themselves. Where will funding come from for their housing, education, food and health care? Who will provide for the mental health counseling that is needed if we have any hope that the children will grow into productive adults. Who will provide them a home?
As the children left home that morning their parents were likely giving them words of encouragement, and looking forward to hearing about their first day of school over a meal that evening. Later in the day, children were told by school personnel their parents had been taken away, possibly forever, and few answers were to be given. How in the world can the children make sense of what happened?
ICE acknowledges that some of the people detained were “collateral arrests”—individuals who have done nothing wrong but got swept up along with those ICE was seeking. For those who are here legally, to be caught up in such a raid must be terribly humiliating.
Perhaps the biggest question is how did the adults get to Mississippi? Were they brought in by their employers to work in the plants? Will the company be held responsible for their actions? Will they be required to care for the children left behind? ICE refuses to answer these questions but rarely are the employers charged in these cases.
Yes, we made history once again.
by Dr. Cathy Grace