ICE agents arrest 680 people at 7 Mississippi work sites

In a sweep targeting seven agricultural processing plants in six Mississippi cities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested roughly 680 people on Wednesday.

ICE said the individuals arrested were undocumented immigrants, and this was the largest single-state workplace enforcement action in United States history. During a news conference, ICE Acting Director Matthew Albence said the raids were the result of a year-long criminal investigation.

The agency did not reveal how many people were targeted in the raids or the number of "collateral" arrests — individuals who were swept up in the operation. Officials also didn't say if the employers hiring undocumented immigrants will be charged. In June, President Trump postponed scheduled raids against Central American undocumented immigrants. That operation targeted about 2,000 people, and when the raids were launched in July across several major U.S. cities, they resulted in 35 arrests.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up