Congressional Hispanic Caucus Statement on Massive ICE Raid in Mississippi

SAN ANTONIO — Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, released the following statement on the series of ICE raids in food processing plants across Mississippi resulting in the detention of over 680 people this morning:

"Today, the Trump Administration intensified its attacks on Latinos by carrying out the largest ICE raid in our nation's history. Nearly 700 workers were taken into custody, meaning hundreds of children will come home to find their parents missing and their families torn.

"Let's be clear: ICE raids of this scale are not conducted for the purpose of immigration enforcement, they're to strike fear in our communities in a time when Latinos are already living in terror. These workplace raids decimate communities and target law-abiding immigrants who are just trying to earn an honest living.

"These raids undermine public safety and the trust between law enforcement and our immigrant communities. Instead of targeting undocumented workers with long-standing ties to communities, the Department of Homeland Security should be using limited resources to target nefarious and serious national security threats."

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The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.