Mississippi
A high-level overview of immigration enforcement activity, school protection policies, and resources for families and educators in Mississippi.
Overview
State context
Mississippi has no state protections for schools regarding immigration enforcement and has been the site of some of the most significant worksite enforcement operations in recent history. In August 2019, ICE conducted the largest single-state workplace enforcement operation in U.S. history, arresting nearly 700 workers at poultry plants across the state. Many of the affected workers had school-age children.
ICE activity
ICE is highly active in Mississippi, particularly in poultry and agricultural processing communities. The 2019 raids demonstrated the scale of enforcement the federal government is willing to conduct in the state. Mississippi law enforcement has cooperated with federal enforcement.
School policies
No statewide or district-level school protection policies. Following the 2019 raids, some schools in affected communities (Morton, Forest, Canton) scrambled to establish protocols and support services for students who arrived at school to find parents missing. No formal warrant-based policies were subsequently adopted.
Notes for advocates
The August 2019 raids, which occurred on the first day of school, left hundreds of children without parents when they arrived home. The images of children crying outside detention facilities drew national attention. Mississippi's poultry industry communities — Morton, Forest, Carthage, Canton, Pelahatchie, Bay Springs — have significant immigrant populations whose children attend local schools. Advocates documented significant trauma and school attendance impacts.
Is your district protected?
Find out whether your school district has a warrant-based policy in place, and what you can do if it doesn't.