A day after the largest single-workplace immigration raid in U.S. history, Elizabeth Alegria was too scared to send her son to school and worried about when she'd see her husband again.
Nearly 600 immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally were detained, creating panic among dozens of families in this small southern Mississippi town.
Alegria, 26, a Mexican immigrant, was working at the Howard Industries transformer plant Monday when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stormed in. When they found out she has two sons, ages 4 and 9, she was fitted with a bracelet and told to appear in federal court next month. But her husband, Andres, wasn't so lucky.
"I'm very traumatized because I don't know if they are going to let my husband go and when I will see him," Alegria said through a translator Tuesday as she returned to the Howard Industries parking lot to retrieve her sport utility vehicle.
The superintendent of the county school district said about half of approximately 160 Hispanic students were absent Tuesday.
Roberto Velez, pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Peniel, where an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the 200 parishioners were caught up in the raid, said parents were afraid immigration officials would take them.
"They didn't send their kids to school today," he said. "How scared is that?"
One worker caught in Monday's sweep at the plant said fellow workers applauded as immigrants were taken into custody. Federal officials said a tip from a union member prompted them to start investigating several years ago.
That's just the thing, you're SUPPOSED to be scared. You're in this country ILLEGALLY. Bringing up the fact that these illegal immigrants have small children doesn't change a thing. The writer of this article is simply trying to sway public opinion, which is largely anti-illegal immigrant.
When you come to this country illegally, you run the risk of being caught and deported. It's simply the price of admission. If you come here legally, you have nothing to worry about. You could be one of the plant workers who simply looks over at the empty spot next to you in the factory and giggle because you're going home to a nice warm home instead of a holding cell in the ICE offices.
Travis
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