May i have your attention. Were just about to start our hearing. Natalie where are you. She needs to make a couple of announcements before we start. [inaudible conversation] most of these people here have heard that every sunday morning in church, just before the minister gets up and bring that dynamic sermon. To limit welcome all of you here to historic Tupelo College. What we would like to do in convening this meaning, is we have some naked seats and i would ask those, Michelle Obama students, do you want to sit down, we absolutely would love to have you to take those seat. All of the people that we invited are here. So there are some vacant seats and for the other young people, i know you can last a little while for this hearing. Let me formally bring our committee and the Homeland Security to order. The committee is meeting today to receive testimony on immigration race and impacts and aftermath in mississippi communities. I am very proud to welcome my colleagues today. Not only my home state, and a second Congressional District of mississippi but i am also glad to welcome you to my Tupelo College where i got started one or two years ago. And i got involved in vote Voter Registration and civil rights doing a lot of things throughout the mississippi. Tupelo was at the Center Rights movement in mississippi and have set the stage for activism had changed direction of our country and the college of the venue, for the committee on Homeland Security to me today to examine the recent immigrant ratings and their effect on the families and children and communities. Three months ago, on august 7th, 2019, immigration and Customs Enforcement its been hundreds of agents to mississippi to arrest nearly 700 workers and seven chicken Processing Plant across the state. It was the largest statewide workplace raid in the u. S. History. The 680 Community Members arrested. Far from being hardened criminals, upholding a Public Safety hazard, those arrested for trying to provide for their families and send their children to school and build a life free from violence and crime and poverty at home. But perhaps the most troubling aspect of these raids is the way i. C. E. Failed to take into account that children would be lift that went out one or both parents as a result. Hundreds of children by some estimates, and over a thousand children, work directly affected by the raids. Children finished their first day of school only to find that there was no one to pick them up or no one waiting for them at home. Schools and social services and entire communities, had to scramble to try to find separated children. In the town of forrest, mississippi, strangers and neighbors, not crying children to a Community Jim or the owner and offered them a place to sleep. Loving and food was donated until children could be reunited with her parents and in some cases extended families. The day after the raids, i. C. E. Believed that all children were united with at least one parent. Sadly, we know this has brought the case. We know of a single mother who remained in i. C. E. Custody, with no or three minor children are being cared for mine and related neither. In some cases, it appears both parents are single parents, could be deported. What happened to the children. Families were forced to send childrens back to a country they have never seen her speak the language or grow up that went out any parents. What happens when the children are u. S. Citizens. Because of the way this operation was carried out, our communities are leaving in fear and people are afraid to leave their homes and children are terrified to go to school because they may return home to find the remaining parent gone. And local businesses are suffering. I want to take those moment to share a few words recorded by a girl whose father was arrested in the raid. In a daily rate is like a normal day at school in the next nano, i get a text message. I thought is made editors. We called my dad, and then when i realized that. [inaudible conversation] i had to take those what was going on. Limit technical difficulty. It is hard to understand. So we will just move on. But is the 15 yearold lady who was describing the impact what the raids affected her and how she feels and news is still served suffering personally. And the relatives in the home, are afraid to come out of the home for fear of being picked up. So it is a real challenge and a lot of families are facing. Clearly families are still suffering from these recent rates. None of the employers have experienced any illegal consequences yet. My u. S. Attorney, has stated to those who use illegal aliens or competitive advantage, hard to make a quick buck, we have something to see to you. If we find you have violated criminal law, we are coming for you. And yet not one employer a person from management, has been arrested and no one has been charged. In fact, prosecution of companies who hire undocumented workers, have declined compared to Previous Administration numbers. The selective wave of administration is enforcing our laws is disappointing. Today we are joined by witnesses from all walks of life who will share their perspectives about what happened on august 7th. What has or havent in the aftermath the rage, and what can be done to help those who are still suffering as a result. I hope to also hear from eyewitnesses about how we can help ensure the mistakes that i. C. E. Made during the rage, are not repeated here in mississippi or elsewhere in the country. I support immigration reform. To ensure that employers can hire the workers they need say of people who want to work to support their families will have a way to do so. In the meantime, i am committed to ensuring that the department of Homeland Security enforce the laws and keeping our values and exercise discretion where necessary to protect children and other vulnerable populations. And again i want to thank Tupelo College for hosting and i look forward to this productive hearing. Other members of the committee, are reminded that on committee rules, Opening Statements may be submitted for the record. I may introduce my colleagues who are here. To my right, and your lift is congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee, from houston texas. [applause] to my lift, is congressman l greene, from houston, texas. [applause] to his lift, and for michael south mississippi, sometimes known as memphis tennessee, my colleague, congressman from memphis, tennessee. [applause] is my welcome our first panel of witnesses, and effort business mr. Cliff johnson, his director of the roderick and macarthur, at the Justice Center and a member of the faculty of the university of Mississippi School of law. Our next witness, reverend odell medina, is the patch of Saint Anns Catholic Church in mississippi. In response to raise father dale, turn his parish in a makeshift legal and Counseling Center for affected families. Our next witness, the honorable owner harvey. He is the founder and president of the board of a legal it education and Community Empowerment foundation. Shes in david native, shes also a judge, a graduate of Tupelo College who also has an distinction of being the first African American female to graduate from the mississippi possible. [applause] our last witness is ms. Miss lorena you have tell me out of this. Ginos lewis, is the lead organizer the Mississippi Immigrant Coalition and working together in mississippi which was instrumental in providing support and aid to families affected by the mississippi i. C. E. Rage. And that went out objection, the witnesses. It, will be inserted in the record. And i now ask each witness to summarize here is her statements for five minutes beginning with missus johnson. Thank you congressman thompson. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, i first want to thank you for this opportunity to talk about the unprecedented rage that occurred on august 7, and mississippi. The practice law here for 27 years and i represented thousands of clients. Nothing ive ever done, has impacted me like the work i have been involved and on behalf of the more than 1000 people impacted by the largest workplace rage in the United States history. I have sat face to face with dozens and dozens of people who have told me often through tears, about their fears and their concerns and the dreams i had for their families. And i am struck with repeatedly by the extent to which they are rollable and confused and scared and i am lift to ask the question why. Why this and why here and why in mississippi. Not to focus my remarks on two areas today. What i want to make clear that these rates were not carried out in response to any outcry from people here in mississippi. We did not ask for this. Secondly i want to address the fact the more than 100 of the people detained in those rates, have been charged criminally. They have been indicted by the United States department of justice in this United States attorney, or felonies. In addition to the other administrative matters that they face, Immigration Court cases, the civil fines that have been imposed and they now must run the gauntlet of federal felony cost prosecution at the hands of the department of justice. First i will see, latino immigrant workers have been involved in the poultry industry mississippi for more than 20 years. We know our neighbors and friends and we know them from Public Schools and from soccer fields and from places of business and from shared places of worship. If you talk to local Law Enforcement officials, you will hear from one today. You will learn that these people are not a threat to our communities and they are certainly no threat to national security. They have become vital parts of the community and their people we know in their people about whom we care. I say it is important to note that even on the regime imposed by the pump administration, and the focus is said to be on those people who present a threat, that this group of people detained on august 7, come nowhere close to meeting the objectives or criteria identified enforcement. I do not know how the state where immigrants make less than 2 percent of the population where there is been no outcry from the community was chosen at the epicenter of enforcement action but i can tell you mississippi is not better off as a result of what is happened here. I must as a former assistant of the United States attorney, also focus on actions of the United States attorney here in prosecuting nearly 120 people. Prosecutorial discretion is at the heart of our system and prosecutors must make decisions about how to use the resources made available to them. This is essential resources made available to them. And decide who should be prosecuted and who should not. In a session important part of our system that the department of justice, discusses it at length in his justice manual. An environment remarks, you can see my analysis as to why the prop customer exercise in this case, in my opinion is terribly flawed. And this has brought service substantial federal is stressed and certainly alternative means of remedy in this context. It is important to note, that this u. S. Attorney news office recently in response to another made and involved almost 600 people criminally prosecuted only nine people. In the u. S. Attorney in the time said, this prosecution of employers in the congressman thompson highlighted, as in like with the department if this is on prosecuting employers and not employees. Prosecuting employees is hardly a deterrent to companies bent on going law. This i say of the United States attorney news office. U. S. Attorney gerst was an assistant u. S. Attorney in this case. Former secretary holtman security john kelly, speaking of present tribes executive order in 2017, are short is that being in the United States, isnt enough and in his words, it is gotta be something else. In mississippi, and these rights, there was nothing else. These people are not criminals. There is no record of violent behavior of the people being prosecuted many of them are young levers with a firstrate education or less of themselves been victimized. There only a handful that have even a misdemeanor conviction. In these prosecutions are wrongheaded and they were use of our resources and the part of the process of duplication of these types of rights and prosecutions as a misuse of resources of the department of justice and is unfair and inhumane filing on in the context of the people who are here working hard and being live about biting neighbors and friends. Thank you. Screaming thank you for your testimony and now recognize father adele for his statement for five minutes. I am medina, belongs to the order of holy trinity and i am patch. This parish is located where because first of all i would like to thank the percent of the security and. [inaudible conversation] Ranking Member hart the opportunity to give my testimony. In my testimonies about the raid on august 7th, 2019 in the community of. [inaudible conversation] this community has been deeply affected because there are in process, many Hispanic Community that was working and that you can plan with a raised play in these people i can personally see how the workers, the local state and National Economy and these are people of families. These are people of faith and they pay their taxes. Many of them have lived in the state and almost all have children and the art children of the United States. They are separated from their families either being departed or are still, into the National Center protection process. It is painful. They do not understand why the parents have been arrested. They said my parents are not criminals. They are not bad people, they were working. They put them in jail. Why did they do that. I have with me, a letter in the pitcher from the children whose father is still in a Detention Center. I have permission to share this with you today. Thirteen years old, the sudden run letter banking to release his father by gel. His father has been in the United States since he was 19 years old. Let me tell you today, how ironic it is father. [inaudible conversation] goleta said i hope you understand me. My dad is the good hardworking, that loves, and loves to go to church. And for my grandpa, he works extra often for grandpa and for food and supplies. I dont want him to leave me by myself with my mom and brothers because it wont be complete family that went out him. She was always there for me and it made me laugh. He also help me with my math homework. What i didnt understand is that he was my best friend. And always played with me so please give us a bill for my dad we are so sad that went out him because i came home and caught my dad. We were waiting for him and he said, dont be sad they please pray for me that is when i started to pray with all of my heart and feelings. So please a citizen here because i need his love and asked with me. Thank you for presenting this letter that i wrote with my heart. Weve god bless you and everything you do. This is just one simple example of the reality of many families but also represented the families calls national attention. And approves that you are here as well. So let me tell you also for my testimony, when people talk about the rates, they started calling me from all over the United States. Many from different races and religions. They told me that they know what it means to be on please let me help they told me that i know what it means to be segregated. People from chicago and california and virginia to tell me that this has brought right. We need to do something and how can we help. You can help meet with more assistance. But the best help is the interracial system. A phenomena that people arent aware that we need to do something. This new generation with the children this family will never forget. They want to help in the families. This is the National Price and i do believe that many with these decisions i pray to weve god to give me the wisdom to handle this issue in the right way. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity. On behalf of these people that cry out for help. I assure you of my prayers. Because i know of that is not easy to handle. Weve god bless you. Sue my thank you very much. Screaming we now recognize us summarize her statement for five minutes. I appreciate your presence. In the other members of congress. As a native, mississippi is the longtime resident. I have seen changes in the political and legal systems. Our eyewitness africanamericans and exercise are basic rights as americans. Shortly after my graduation i follow the lawsuit on behalf of victims and their families throughout beatings and even death, inflicted at the hands of Police Officers and other Law Enforcement personnel. Why were not successful in many of these legal actions, i always helped we serve notice the Law Enforcement official but in recent years and more recently, in recent months it seems to notice it was apparently not received and i appreciate your description of what happened in my hometown following the rates. But not only were the employees surprised and caught offguard, most in the forest and martin communities of scott county, were actually surprised and quite disturbed. The manner in which the raid was conducted was appalling and inhumane to see the least. The workers were treated as terrorists and animals that upsets me. The local Law Enforcement officers that you were here today, were themselves unaware of the range. In many expressed disappointment with the lack of notice. When i first learned of the xrays, my heart dropped. As i felt heat in my nose. I contacted cbs, the officials as children protected officials night represent that agency is weve god county. Im concerned with what was happening to the children. I was advised the day after that nobody can cbs in scott county, knew about the rates. There was no notice for state employees to take care of these children. I was contacted by individuals or beneficiaries of our program and one of the latest called and said she need it me to come over talk to her child and when i went over he ran up to me and he said ms. Connie, why do they hate my mama. The only thing i could do was to tell him that his mother was loved. My grandson is with me today, was also affected. He was in tears because while the boys as mother was arrested, his best friend. He sees what this country is coming to and there is no exceptions for deflection of pain on children. I am and probably will remain disturbed in my church st. Michaels Catholic Church was torn apart. At least 200 of our parishioners are still detained. That does not happen in america. I dont want to get personal. I have submitted my comments to this panel. There are many questions posed by Community Residents concerning the timing of the rates. The secrecy of the rates. The lack of planning for the course of action and the lack of compassion for the children his families have been destroyed. The efforts to terrorize certain citizens, has been successful. They are now intimidated and afraid and angry. These rates disrupted so many lives in my community. And for that, i am extremely resentful. Many families have been destroyed and probably will never recover. I am sad that our children were subjected to this estoppel actions. Gentlemen and ladies, when the damage and shaming indictment. Thank you. Thank you very much for the testimony and i now recognize young lady was lewis summarize her statement for five minutes. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today ever holding this field hearing in mississippi to shine the live and the devastating impact of argus work rates. My name is and i am the navigation lead organizer with working together mississippi after working along with many others, to support families in crisis in response to their rates. Three months later, this work is ongoing. And today im sharing a few stories from impacted individuals and families many of these individuals cannot be here today with us. Not because theyre afraid and some because they are still in detention. But the stories must be told. August 7, 2019, with the first in mississippi. Where the news that i. C. E. Detained 680 people in the plant in the central part of the state. And sprung into action and make his were returned home from school to find one or both parents gone that day. For those who are detained in the right, quick counting the brutality of the officers, is painful. One individual said we were treated like animals. We were told we were coming back home. Why do they hate us so much. Another woman was in her car when a nice officer approached her. He forcibly removed her from the car after cutting your seatbelt with a knife. And then threw her on the ground. She begged the officer to let her call for children but he moved her inside with the rest of the detained workers. After the chaos of the raid, they were transferred to the Detention Centers in the region. The story of a woman will refer to itself, demonstrates the many issues in the detention from Language Access to treatment of detainees and l is still detained three months later despite having three children at home or in the care of a neither. L speaks one of three ancient dialects many of those detained speak. She speaks just a little spanish. She did not understand the questions that were asked during the raid. She was detained in mississippi and then transferred to louisiana. Her health has deteriorated. She eats only once a day and it is in constant pain due to chronic illness. When i went to visit her with her children, her five yearold didnt recognize her. And was afraid to speak to her. Families continue to scramble to find a loved one in over half of the detained were released and others were sent to the Detention Center in mississippi and louisiana. We began to do a search for the intakes. But notice that days later, we are able to trace these detainees. More Detention Centers began popping up. Individuals detaining, work being held into Detention Centers to now spread across 13 different Detention Centers. Hours apart. The trauma that these rates have because is something that will last even legal cases. Children days after the rates, and so cry every night because her mom has brought there to put them to sleep. I know a teenager who missed several days of school due to anxiety and depression. Taste about klatt teased by classmates of her family being deported. But our Mental Health system has brought equipped to handle these cases. We have very limited capacity and theres only one bilingual place in trout, counselor in the entire state. One. She is working around the clock to provide services in a train licensed clinicians that are not bilingual are compazine. Also trying to get them interpreters. This community and these families are hardworking. They are proud people. They often work ten to 12 hours a day and during horrendous working conditions. Workers tell stories of Sexual Harassment lack of bathroom breaks, and child labor. Many of these families have been part of our community for years and even decades. They have homes and cars and open back in gaza plan really is and attended church, even became business owners. We can address these prices before it is caused by the immigration policy of the current administration. This work must be done but we continue to create new and welcoming immigration policies that effectively put people in pathway to citizenship and create safer and better pain working environments. One example next. Individuals detained should be released in reunited with her family spread the government should immediately provide documentation of the whereabouts of those still in detention. Additional funding and resources with Mental Health issues are need it. A longterm crisis fund should be established with public and private dollars. We must and work side and enforcement activities that tear families apart. Congress must hold dhs nice is accountable. Her name for enforcement activity only to be solved and the devastation of our communities and that is trauma. Our families deserve to be united in freeing their own communities. Thompson, can Work Together to address these issues. We can move forward and build a welcoming community in mississippi. Thank you. Thank you very much. [applause] i say the witnesses for their testimony. And i remind each member that he will have five minutes to question the panel. I now recognize myself for questions. Mr. Johnson, given your work in the u. S. Attorney news office, and the work with these families, is your testimony with some discretionary regard they could been exercised with respect to this right. Stew mcginnis congressman thompson, the department of justice pushes the justice manual recognizing that we dont prosecute cases criminally and in each instance where there may be a technical violation of law. And they provide specific guidance makes clear that simply because the government will either believe crime may have been committed and even if they believe they can run in a court of law manual says that the prosecution must also serve as substantial federal interest and they must assess whether there is adequate non criminal alternative to prosecution. In the prosecutorial discretion in our systems is vitally important. U. S. Attorney said, in the aftermath of these rates, that we are a country of immigrants but we are also in more than that, country of law. And as if he and the department of justice had no choice but to prosecute every manner they thought might be a violation. And that is not the case to the extent that is what he intended to communicate to the department of justice manual speaks to the contrary. , medina, can you your experience and contacting or attempting to [applause] eyes on behalf of some of the families that you are working with. The day of the raid, tried to reach them to see with the people work and i didnt have any access. Nobody know where the people wear. We went to the office Homeland Security office here in jackson. No we were there. I didnt have any, result trying to reach him. To mix your testimony is that the day of the raid, those individuals mightve had an interest in what was going on didnt have anybody to talk to. Went to the office of vice, and was locked. They moved to someplace else i believe an airport or another facility and they have the people. Ms. Harvey, as i understand it, as part of the requirement or protocol is that we will get to it with her next panel but i. C. E. Officials are supposedly like notified School Districts Human Service people, they are preparing. This is the first day of school. So you aware of any notification that that occurred in scott county. Am aware that it did not occur. Several employees at the Mississippi Department of children services, work, hard with absolutely shocked. In fact, their supervisors were not notified. The principles and the superintendents, and five Public Schools in scott county and one went on television and stated that he had absolutely no knowledge of what happened in his efforts to [applause] someone as possible. In those efforts were in vain. So basically those children in the custody of the School District, at the time of the rates in the School District didnt know what was going on. No idea. And what happened is because of the confusion, the students whose parents were arrested, did not come to school the next day. They were traumatized. His stomach distress and you and see something. I did not. Ms. Lewis, can you give the committee some of your experience in trying to make [applause] with i. C. E. On behalf of some of the people we are talking about here today. Many of the problems arose because of the language barrier. A lot of people assumed that the folks that were arrested spoke spanish. But their language, is the different language they speak. At least three or four different brands. So we can even that in itself was a little bit complicated and they are known interpreters the speak the language here. The state of mississippi so that was difficult trying to find that we also had intakes and then as they moved around in Detention Centers, we just kept losing people. We couldnt trace anyone. Thank you very much. I will yield. Thank you for holding this probably one of the most significant hearings that Homeland Security committee failed and it is attributable to your leadership and im grateful to be in your community at this time. It is very difficult with assess to provide my outrage in a short period of time. Let me see that this is one this is one of the most cruel and inhumane forms of government actions that i have seen in a very long time. [applause] certainly i want to acknowledge the leadership of doctor constance or harvey, because she captured this connection the criminal justice can be used as a relates to colored people. We become the product of that. Mass incarceration is an example. We use the ones race or background to oppress that. So let me quickly get to my questions and see that i hope that out of the steering, many of us who proposed a variety of remedies for the me try to go to mr. Johnson. I dont get to all of you, im very grateful for you. We are always engaged in these issues dealing with our brothers and sisters. But let me specifically go to you mr. Johnson. Theres something about value we do get into a case to be a d. A. Raid. We shut down a major cartel linkage. Our major meth operation. And you assess the value. 680 workers. 303 of them were released. They didnt need to be arrested at all and 32 of those individuals including 18 minors were released on site. Tell me if you and your work, would analyze the effectiveness of that kind raid as any to reach resources, and relate to results. I want to get to the rule, so if you could very quickly, when we give her name to the doj, this is wasteful. Those who mightve been relevant as a danger to the community could have been picked up if they were not to be workers quietly at home or at work mr. Johnson to make europes holy rightfind this a shocking use of dag resources the rod is 600 felt federal agents. Charest news eternity people. The amount of her name its been in the manpower on committed to arresting people who have been working in these communities for years and decades have been lawabiding citizens citizens struggling. No issues at the department of justice that they could and should address. They make these decisions to the exclusion of other Law Enforcement priorities and opportunities. Spinning time crossing these good people locking them up in our shells when we have real problems and i would be very concerned congresswoman, that is an investigation we need to in an initiate. Let me quickly answered your question. To doctor harvey, then to ms. Lewis. I understand that you and many of these watermelons, and of many of these came here but i say was earthquake. Just some months back in any of it, a lot of these are going on in Central America but they have indigenous language. I want you to be able to pierce into that how difficult that is the Due Process Rights to be exercised when no one can communicate and i made perfectly have a legitimate reason to speak of silent, afterthefact or some other remedy to you if you could comment on the idea of when the laws are misused against people of color who dealt of rights with wherewithal to defend themselves. I spoke about l, it was very difficult for me to communicate with her. She spoke spanish. As i can just imagine what it was like hearing the orders in a language that she wasnt familiar with. Also when she was arrested, she couldnt understand what was going on. Sunny favors, when she couldnt read. I completely different language, we see that people understand in the language of the heart. Thats the language that they were not home. So everything is confusing and then they keeled up in a different language because people assume that they speak spanish. And theres four different indigenous languages. Calling people to interpret in the court. We have to find car interpreters for all of the country read because there is such a limited resources. So this is been excruciating even for the folks that are doing organizing work to doing the legal intakes and to make sure that everything they are receiving, they are understanding accurately. Because of one word, can really cause a serious mistake in the due process and in the legal and the also, the resources to obtain resources for them. Sometimes, it is a nightmare. And it has been for many years. To provide quality and Legal Services to individuals who cannot communicate. We cannot communicate. In some of us cannot communicate in spanish. And to advise individuals, other Constitutional Rights or basic rights. To the extent, in our language, when they cannot understand is the travesty. We found that in this particular instance, many of the chief detainees, most of whom were guatemalan, and no earthly idea asked what what was being said. None whatsoever. None could speak spanish. And definitely not mom. And the individuals who was speaking mom, when they were bought before our federal judge, she was kind enough to have an interpreter in california on the line. In the other individual who speak spanish, was in the dark. It was the only individual who can speak mom, that could help these individuals. It is really as i said, a taxing honor system. I say the witnesses. Super thank you very much. I will see this again at the end, we will probably have some questions based on some of the answers that we had in the witnesses today. I will get back to you and we now recognize the gentleman from houston mr. Green for five minutes. Thank you mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the witnesses for appearing today. I want to complement all of the many people who taken the time to be here. Mr. Chairman, as you know we have these field hearings across the country and your constituents, have demonstrated that this app is of interest to them. That means a lot to me personally. Anything to the committee as a whole. Let us not make the mistake of assuming that what i. C. E. Imposes has brought the will of the president. I say we have to acknowledge that when the president says, this is the deterrent, that this is something that is coming from the white house, and it is difficult to imagine how a president can see children separated from their parents. [applause] and this is the deterrent. It is difficult to imagine. It is a very painful thing. To have to grapple with these issues. Lets do something. Attorney johnson your dedicated that these people were not a threat. But for the record now, i sent in the record of what you see. Is it true that there were no gangs of latinos that were threatening and terrorizing the people in this area. Is this the case. No games. That is true congressman crane, 100 percent true. Father would you agree that there were no gangs. No. Your honor, whether again. No sir, and is never come to my attention none of my desk that was in a gangs latino or hispanic. I work directly with the families and the youth organizing and none of that. Now they also see that the person is arrested where drain on the economy. That they are the reason they are unemployment rates may not be as some place comparable to the national average. When they bring on the economy. Attorney general. His. To the contrary congressman breen are vital part of the industry that creates 3 billion in revenue each year in mississippi alone. And in addition, you do not hear mississippi and is clamoring for the jobs that these people held. And have held for quite some time. His. Father. Im sorry i didnt follow you. Are they a drain on the economy did they take up services that others wouldve met a defendant from. Of course i believe that the National Economy is, they are giving a lot to the local economy and the National Economy. They are hard workers. Thank you and judge,. Quite the contrary. Hispanics, and latinos in stac county, they work hard. They have many skills but they are not appreciated when it comes to compensation. The chicken plant, or most of them are employed, suffered because no one will take the jobs that they talk. So no sir, they are not a drain. In fact just the opposite. No sir one of the things that i witness will be accompanied are victims to their no one hearing, when the first things he asked the judge news cannot work. Can i go back to work. Even though until i am asked to leave this country, i just want to work. National studies have shown that those persons who are part of the immigrant communities, have lower crime rates in the general population and some of it has to do with the fact that they want to stay out of the view of the constabulary news. Have you found that the crime rate in the community has been higher just based on your anecdotal evidence. I say the crime in this community is exceedingly low. Charlie can confirm that. One of the troublesome things is that they are so concerned about being caught up in this is that they underreport and they themselves are victims of crimes. If you agree mr. Johnson, would you kindly just extent your hand into the years like i can let the brent and reflect that all of the persons on the panel have agreed that the crime rate is low. Because of this. I appreciate what you do as a person News Associated with ngos, and various Community Organizations and this has brought going to be easy. But what you are doing today will make it better for us to do something to make a change. Thank you very much. I yield back the balance of time. Thank you [applause] the gentleman yells back [applause] the chart now recognize the gentleman from memphis, tennessee for five minutes. Thank you mr. Chairman. First i like to commend your representative here thompsons most respected in washington a chairman of an Important Committee and a scolding this hearing and its important. I appreciate him inviting me here. I also want to reference its not necessarily an duration when he said that he thinks memphis is being as a part of Mississippi Mississippi has given us many of our greatest cultural artist who lift mississippi, allison bb king, and a lot of others who lift meant mississippi, is given memphis may be finest citizens and we began to soda county similar hearts. [laughter] memphis is known and in the meanwhile and Long Distance information give me memphis tennessee. Mississippi, i can only say of nina simone, [laughter] but she was thinking of an old mississippi that harvey remembers. Is that connection with the old mississippi similar to what we have with immigrants that there are efforts in the state that are antagonistic towards others to the people of color. I would see that its not the same. Maybe a little worse. To look at some of the officials who are responsible for guaranteeing basic rights, and that is how they look at immigrants. How they treat them and how they speak to them. I can identify in the inhumanity because i was treated in a similar way but not nearly as bad. I knew our eyes. As an american citizen. In these individuals dont know their rights. I could demand my rights. I can find it. They cant. So i can protect myself. In the camp. Let me remind everyone that the fact that on june, it was april 52019, there was a raid and be station tennessee which is time and it was the largest workplace rate in the nation. Nearly a decade ago. It was similar to this one, it is eerie. Im a nuts from a hearing we had concerning that. White wrote secretary nielsen to deaf ears and commissioner parker, as simple that the children the way they were treated and traumatized in the actions. And the fact that the employer was not arrested. This is the meat Processing Plant with the employer was not arrested but the employees were. Makes me say that what this was, went to tennessee, mr. Johnson is the white mississippi. I suspect why why tennessee is because this is read meet the trumpets throwing to his face to see look, im for you. In this way. Mr. Johnson say that might be white happen here. I certainly believed it might be wiped there is no other good explanation congressman cowans. There has not been any sense in mississippi that we are at risk in any way that our communities are endangered anyway so what else might be. But the dictate from the administration and hasnt learned the lessons of history that when we run a people based on the color of the skin or their country of origin, they always look back in horror and shame. You mentioned the previous attorney. Was that an obama appointee. Is enacting u. S. Attorney. Good began at the end of the Bush Administration and there was great over into the beginning of the obama administration. Question starting to look pretty good. I said that more than once. [laughter] im sorry what occurred here it is similar what happened in tennessee. Anything is demeaning of america. In the economy here, you might know her missiles, but in morristown tennessee which is part of the east, this part of the economy before sound. As this earth the economy here in mississippi as well. And has. It has yes sir. The policy of this administration, and he has these rights theoretically to deter immigration. The southern border. Does this do you believe in anyway this diminishes the people in Central America who want a better place to come. There have been by the human spirit and i dont say theres enemy anything that stops the effort to help children. You dont say they read goleta down there. [laughter] nor paid any attention to it. His. Thank you i yield back the balance of my time. The gentleman yells back. Let me say our panel of witnesses. Human excellent. I will allow a member might have another question if they want. Let me make a couple of comments. A lot of the people who i. C. E. Detained, never got it paycheck, never got the check. And weve been struggling to try to make sure that wherever those individuals are, that they should have, receive their paycheck. So we have been working with very agencies to make sure that happens. One of the things that we hear around the country, is that Companies Take the lost wages and keep them. So the families never received the checks. So we are trying to work with local officials to make sure that those families are in fact received whatever earnings that they were due. And thats a challenge. 478,000 to conduct. Thats a significant amount of money. We are still trying to get but those are dead salary costs but it costs for that rate. That is a lot of money. And we think that while people were doing their job, the discretion because ive seen businesses no longer open because the customers are no longer around and thats part of the economic concern congressman green talked about so i think the individuals impacted have not been a threat to the community. Then the community should have been engaged in whatever it is. So, we will hear what actually took place in my look forward to it. Any other questions . Does he have a record of how many children are still separated from their parents . Weve attempted to come up with a number we think the number affected overall exceeds 1500. Many may have one parent present but a mother is still incarcerated, detained. Let me thank the panel. You have a closing statement . I think that we would be remiss if we didnt recognize you are part of a larger coalition. Its dangerous to attempt to list everyone, but i think its important for everyone to recognize the hard work organizations that worked in the field for a long time in the Mississippi Center for justice for the southern poverty law center, aclu, the clinics at the law school, both children and gave to the fund we spent over 400,000 of the privately raised money to bond out at this point about 60 people. The charities of the Jackson Diocese and the communities and countless volunteers whove gotten nothing back from this and we are so compelled to work. It is a huge effort and we are not equipped to handle this. We are doing the best we can but its a team effort and i want to welcome those organizations. Let me thank the witnesses again. Your testimony will be included in the record in th and the recd will be kept open for ten days. So you might have some questions and we ask that you give back to us which answers. Thank you very much. [applause] we will now ask the second panel of witnesses to come forward. [inaudible conversations] in this portion of the hearing, local officials and Law Enforcement discussed the impact the race had on their have on tr communities. Also appearing at the hearing was a special agents from immigration and Customs Enforcement who was involved in the planning of the raid
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