Immigration raid fallout is tough on town
Elizabeth Crisp • elizabeth.crisp@clarionledger.com • August 31, 2008

Read Comments(23)
LAUREL — Tensions had been building in this small southeast Mississippi town even before the immigration raid at the city's largest employer.



Feelings in the wake of Monday's raid now range from fear to anger to sympathy. And some residents are simply trying to move on.

At least 595 people were taken into custody when agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement stormed Howard Industries, a company of more than 4,000 workers that specializes in technology products. It was the single-largest workplace immigration raid in U.S. history.

Lashonda Dase, the store manager of a local pawnshop, questions whether the company knowingly hired illegal workers over those who are here legally.

"You're basically keeping 600 people who are legal to work here from working," she said. "That could be 600 households, 600 children who've been suffering.

"It was wrong if they knew."

No one at Howard Industries has been charged, but the investigation is ongoing. Arrests at companies often can come weeks, months or even years after raids.

The company has denied any wrongdoing.

Wanda Benson, the city's public relations director, would not discuss anything for this story, including questions about Laurel's Hispanic community, Howard Industries' role in Laurel or how the raid stands to impact the city's future.

"Maybe at a later date the city will make a formal statement, but we have nothing to say at this time," she said.

Nearly all of the city's Mexican restaurants closed following the raid and have not reopened.

There were reports some factory workers cheered as the immigrants were being led out by agents.

Many in Laurel have been hesitant to openly discuss the situation because of ties with the plant or fears of reprisal in the community. Howard Industries is not only the largest employer in the city, but it's also the largest employer in Jones County.

The Clarion-Ledger spoke to illegal immigrants last week who said they were fearful of going out in public after the raid and may return to their native countries. None would go on record.

At La Michoacana Supermarket, a Hispanic grocery store near the Howard Industries plant, manager Carlos Mauricio Lira said the raid has led to a dramatic drop-off in business.

"Right now we barely see customers. The majority of them are in their homes scared to come out," Lira said through a translator as he unpacked a shipment of spicy, dried peppers last week. "Today (Thursday), I saw like five people when we normally see dozens of customers."

Some residents said some have been mistreated.

The Rev. Roberto Velez, pastor at Iglesia Cristiana Peniel (Peniel Christian Church), recalled a man who attempted to buy a prepaid credit card from a local store earlier in the day and was told he needed to provide a Social Security number.

"Why would you need to give a Social Security number?" Velez asked. "You put money on the card, and you spend it."

But Velez said he also has seen an outpouring of sympathy.

Members from all ethnicities in the community have reached out with donations, canned goods and other necessities for the families of those who are being detained. "It really is a great community," he said.

Ethnic isolation
Laurel's Hispanic population has risen steadily in recent years, with many seeking manufacturing jobs at the local industrial park.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, about 700 of Laurel's 18,000 residents were Hispanic. But Mayor Melvin Mack has said he has heard as many as 5,000 Hispanics may live here.

Less than two years ago, the city reported a spike in crimes against Hispanic residents. Mack spoke out, saying he was "very disturbed" by the trend and vowed to stop it.

The city increased officers' pay and beefed up patrols, especially in the city's Avenues neighborhood, where many Hispanic residents live.

But many in the Hispanic community, including Lira, have fallen into a sort of ethnic isolation, created mostly by the language barrier. He doesn't speak English, and though he understands it a little, he often doesn't know how to respond.

Lira's store customers hail from countries across Latin America and South America - Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Brazil.

In his store, they can find everything from fresh produce to laundry detergent packaged especially for Spanish-speaking consumers.

Colorful signs dot the store walls, advertising two of the store's big sellers - international phone cards and international money transfers.

Nearly all of the labels and signs throughout the store are in Spanish.

There are several similar stores in Laurel.

An outdated, faded sign hanging above a Hispanic grocery on West 10th Street identifies the building as a "beauty shop," but the windows are plastered with brightly colored advertisements for international calling cards and Latin music venues.

Inside, the store sells products similar to La Michoacana Supermarket - all with Spanish-language labels.

'Se habla espanol'
Other businesses in town have tried to attract the growing base.

A sign in front of Pawn & Trade on Mississippi 15 says "Se habla espanol" - Spanish is spoken here, but Dase said they get few Spanish-speaking customers.

"We get a lot more in Hattiesburg," she said.

In Dase's line of work, she often sees people who are down on their luck or need a job. The struggling economy has affected people across the board.

"We had a layoff here today," she said.

Though she has seen some resentment toward the Hispanic community, Dase, who is black, said she "kind of straddle(s) the fence on the issue."

She has not noticed an increase in tension among the Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking communities in Laurel since the raid, though. "It's just the same old thing. Same as before," she said.

She understands the immigrants' side: "They're just looking for work," she said.

The unemployment rate in Jones County was 6.5 percent in July, slightly higher than the national rate of 6 percent but below the state's 8.5 percent rate.

Just days following the raid, Howard was making new hires and holding orientation sessions.

'Good place to work'
Velisa Hickman of Laurel applied at Howard earlier this summer but had not heard back from the company until Wednesday - two days after the raid.

She has worked for Howard before and said she was happy to be back.

Nearly everyone who lives in Laurel knows someone who works at Howard Industries, and the company often is seen as a pillar of the community.

Howard makes products such as power transformers, voltage regulators and transformer components.

"It's a good place to work," Hickman said after orientation Thursday.

For Hickman, who will be working in assembly, the raid was a godsend because she has been unemployed since September. "It's good to have a job again," she said.

A brief statement Monday has been the only public comment the company has made since the raid. In a letter sent to customers Wednesday, the company said it had used various means, including E-Verify and fingerprinting, to confirm the legal status of employees.

"Howard Industries has done nothing wrong and has not been charged," an underlined sentence in the document reads.

ICE spokesman Richard Rocha said Friday that each of the people being detained are being processed for removal. Many were transported to a facility in Jena, La.

Velez said he has heard of many who are signing forms for voluntary deportation, rather than prolonging deportation in court.

Back to Mexico
Now Velez is planning a trip to Mexico. He will take as many of the illegal immigrants as he can who were not caught and want to go back.

But Velez said he has evidence that some of the people being detained were here legally and are unlawfully being held.

He held a work visa and passport for Miguel Angel Lavariega Lopez, pointing to the expiration date: Oct. 25, 2008. "His paperwork is in order," Velez said. "He should be released."

Velez said identity theft charges also are unfair because sometimes immigrants are taken advantage of.

"These are cash transactions, so they can't be traced," he said. "When the authorities come knocking, the people say their identity must have been stolen."

Though it may still be illegal, he said it's wrong for the the sellers to be treated as victims.

"They take money from these people," Velez said. "Who determines which ones were stolen and which were sold."

Velez, a U.S. citizen who previously served in the military, has become a point person for those who are looking for help following the raid. He said he feels he is answering to a "higher calling" when he assists the immigrants.

"Right now we are just trying to meet the immediate needs of the families," Velez said as volunteers unloaded bags and boxes of donated goods, from baby food to bottled water.

"In most of these cases, the bread-winner was the one taken," he said.

Velez said Howard Industries was refusing to release paychecks Thursday to many of the families of workers who were arrested.

"One woman, her rent is due but she doesn't have the money," he said. "I have to help."

To comment on this story, call Elizabeth Crisp at (601) 961-7303.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs. ... /1001/news