Constitutional Law

Immigration Raid At Miss. Factory Results In Nearly 600 Arrests

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conducted the largest single-workplace immigration raid in United States history at the Howard Industries facility in Laurel, Miss., reports The Associated Press. Officials arrested 595 workers suspected of being illegal immigrants.

With immigration reform efforts stalled in Congress, many states have passed their own enforcement laws. Mississippi recently enacted legislation with severe penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. Under the new statute, employers who hire illegal immigrants could lose their right to conduct business in the state for as long as one year and lose their public contracts for up to three years.

ACS has sponsored several panel discussions about immigration law and the legal status of immigrants in the United States  At the 2008 ACS National Convention, panelists including Eleanor Acer from Human Rights First and Jonathan Smith of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia explored immigrants’ right to counsel. Video of the panel is available here.

At the 2007 ACS National Convention, participants including Esther Olavarria from Senator Edward Kennedy’s (D-Mass.) office and Ana Avendaño of the AFL-CIO discussed comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Click here for a video of the panel discussion. Also at the 2007 convention, Judges Martha S. Berzon of the Ninth Circuit, Karen Nelson Moore of the Sixth Circuit, Rosemary Pooler of the Second Circuit, Sidney R. Thomas of the Ninth Circuit and Chief Judge Paul R. Michel of the Federal Circuit discussed the adjudication of immigration appeals in the federal court system. Video of the panel is available here.

Full post as published by ACS Blog on August 27, 2008 (boomark / email).