The first day of school is often a day filled with excitement, pride, and happiness in which students get ready for a learning-filled year, and parents eagerly watch their students enter another school year. For several students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade in Scott County in Mississippi, the first day of school ended with a horrific outcome when 680 people were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The ICE raids took place in several food processing plants near several small towns in the vicinity of Jackson, Mississippi, according to USA Today. The workforce in these towns consists of predominantly Latino immigrant families, many of whom are the primary caregivers and providers for those families. Some children started their first day of school with one or both parents being detained, while they were in class. At the time of the report above, the superintendent of the school district was aware of six families who were being impacted by the ICE raids and that number is expected to rise after communication with an ICE agent.
As a mother, the sole thought of not being able to be there when my daughter returns from any school day
In light of recent threats of ICE raids, many cities in California have also begun to take action in hopes of protecting immigrant communities. Delano became the first sanctuary city in Kern County this week, according to 23 ABC News. With immigrants making up nearly 30 percent of the residents of the city, elected officials in Delano took a symbolic stand since the state has already passed SB 54, which
Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke up about the detrimental trauma and negative impacts that these raids would cause, and we are seeing them happen in Mississippi before our eyes.
If you are looking to get involved, The Nation published a resource guide with steps that people can take to support and stand up for our undocumented communities. The actions listed range from talking points and information needed to contact government officials to step