26 August 2008

The Laurel Raid: They Didn't Get Them All

As far as reporters are concerned, the big story of the raid on Howard Industries in Laurel MS is the fact that hundreds of alleged illegal immigrants have been arrested, sparking a panic in their neighborhoods. But this is really only half the story. Those people were arrested because they're supposed to be breaking the law by working at Howard. So what about the people who hired them? Howard Industries is named after founder and owner Billy Howard Sr, who still runs the company with his family. Were they arrested? Their lawyers claim that the Howards have done all within their power to prevent illegals from coming to work. If so, their efforts have been laughably inadequate. The lawyers say what they're paid to say. Theirs should not be the last word. If undocumented workers are breaking the law in Laurel, aren't the people who hire them conspiring to break the law? Politicians talk about prosecuting employers who hire illegals, but are new laws really necessary? Let's see what the evidence tells us about how Howard hired these unfortunate folks, and deal with the Howards accordingly. Then you can say that justice was served.

3 comments:

Dee said...

You are right. I understand there was documentation in the HR offices indicating the company provided false SS# to the workers.

As with Agriprocessors, they never arrest the employers!

Anonymous said...

The federal government is pretty much a corrupt fraud by this point. They'll always talk about creating laws, but then the laws (if they actually come into existence) are not enforced, the criminals are not subjected to any punishment. The people need to take these things into their own hands and start handing out the justice that the corrupt government refused to do.

Samuel Wilson said...

If anything, the employer should be the first person arrested in any such raid, on the presumption that there wouldn't be so many undocumented people working somewhere unless the company had enticed them to come. Perhaps the government could keep such a plant operating so the illegals could earn their fare back home while the bosses sit in jail. They could also help train people to take over the place after it's taken from the criminal owners and sold at auction. I'm willing to hear other suggestons.