Black/Immigrant/Union/Nonunion Conflict and the Mississippi Raid
The raid last week in Mississippi continues to have ripple effects. The L.A. Times reports that many black and white residents of Laurel, Mississippi, where the raid occurred, applaud the raid. At the same time, the raid sent fear through the Latino community.
It also has been reported that the raids were attributable to union/immigrant conflict (i.e., nonunionized immigrants reportedly were given much overtime by the employer) with reports that a union official tipped off ICE to the undocumented workers in the plant. This may well be the latest instance of Black/immigrant conflict that has been the subject of some recent excellent scholarly commentary.
It also appears that the increasing numbers of Latina/o immigrants moving to Laurel brought change that created some negative feelings among whites and African Americans.
If nothing else, the varied reactions to teh Mississippi raid reveals just how complex issues of immigration, employment, and national identity are.
KJ