Labor Day In Mississippi—Job Openings For Americans After Raids

The recent raid in Mississippi highlighted how American labor—American working men and women, not the leaders of Big Labor—feels about immigrant labor taking their jobs.

I noted that in the Howard Industries plant the American workers cheered and clapped as the illegals were arrested.

"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.

Fabiola Pena, 21, cradled her 2-year-old daughter as she described a chaotic scene at the plant as the raid began, followed by clapping."[ Fear grips [illegal]immigrants after Miss. plant raid By HOLBROOK MOHR, Associated Press, August 27, 2008]
Notice that it was a member, presumably an American, from the local union who tipped them off. Please notice that they received this tip several years ago. Why wasn't it acted on then? Well, we've had a Bush administration for eight years, and the Bush administration was not interested in immigration enforcement until after its amnesty plan failed. In 2004, Ed Rubenstein wrote Quietly, Employer Sanctions Have Been Abandoned, while in 2005 Steve Sailer noted a Washington Post report that

Richard Stana, director of homeland security and justice at the Government Accountability Office, told a House of Representatives subcommittee this week the number of notices of intent to fine employers for knowingly hiring unauthorized workers fell from 417 in 1999 to three last year.[See IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT Weaknesses Hinder Employment Verification and Worksite Enforcement Efforts GAO-05-813 PDF for more details.]
That's why a Heather Mac Donald wrote about the Bush Administration's amnesty enthusiasm that

[I]mmigration enforcement has not failed — it has never been tried.[ W's Immigration Fallacy, New York Post, January 16, 2004]
And why a Mississippi newspaper recently editorialized that

The most effective reforms would be to enforce existing laws.
The result of this immigration enforcement may be that Howard Industries,[Email] (whose owners are maxed out McCain donors) may be forced to hire Americans. (Mississippi has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country.)A local Mississippi paper reports

[quote]Residents lined up for jobs at Howard Industries

By ED KEMP

Hattiesburg[Mississippi] American, August 26, 2008

LAUREL – About 30 cars were lined up in front of Howard Industries’ Laurel plant today filled with people looking for jobs.

An estimated 350 workers are being held at an undisclosed location following an early morning raid Monday on Howard Industries that officials say is the largest round-up of its type in Mississippi in recent years.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said the 350 employees at a Howard Industries plant in Laurel are in the country illegally.

Federal warrants were issued at the plant early Monday and also at the corporate headquarters in Ellisville.

Shantay Holles, 26, of Heidelberg said she used to work at Howard Industries as an electric tester but was fired last year. She said she is applying today because she heard on the news about the ICE raid.

“That’s all they would hire – Mexican, Mexican, Mexican!â€