Emily Carter
On August 7, 2019, seven Mississippi chicken processing plants were raided by ICE, resulting in the detention of 680 mostly Latino workers. The plants were owned by four companies: Peco Foods, Koch Foods, Pearl River Foods, and A&B Inc. The raids were part of a large-scale operation targeting undocumented employees and coincided with a broader push by the Trump administration to crack down on migrant labor. In the aftermath of the raids, many of the families that ICE separated remain separated, and those who were detained faced prolonged detainments and deportations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of chicken plants raided | 7 |
| Number of people arrested | 680 |
| Owners of raided chicken plants | Koch Foods, Peco Foods, Pearl River Foods, A&B Inc., PH Food, and MP Food |
| Companies that owned the plants | Four companies spread across six states |
| Number of companies operating the plants | Five |
| Location of the plants | Mississippi |
| Type of workers arrested | Latino |
| Reason for the raid | Identify workers living in the US illegally |
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What You'll Learn
- The raids were the largest single-state worksite enforcement action in US history
- Koch Foods and PECO Foods owned five of the seven raided plants
- The companies' executives donated thousands of dollars to top Mississippi officials
- The raids were planned months in advance
- The Mississippi chicken plants raided by ICE held job fairs to replace workers
The raids were the largest single-state worksite enforcement action in US history
On August 7, 2019, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided seven Mississippi chicken processing plants, arresting 680 mostly Latino workers in what has been described as the largest single-state worksite enforcement action in US history. The raids were part of an ongoing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) worksite enforcement criminal investigation.
The seven plants targeted by immigration officials were owned by four companies spread across six states: Peco Foods, Koch Foods, Pearl River Foods, and A&B Inc. These companies were suspected of "willfully and unlawfully employing" undocumented workers, according to unsealed search warrants. Koch Foods, one of the largest poultry producers in the US, did not respond to telephone calls and emails seeking comment.
The raids, which were planned months in advance, happened just hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to visit El Paso, Texas, a majority-Latino border city where a man linked to an online screed about a "Hispanic invasion" had recently been charged in a shooting that left 22 people dead. About 600 ICE agents participated in the operation, surrounding the perimeters of the plants to prevent workers from fleeing.
In Morton, about 40 miles east of Jackson, workers filled three buses—two for men and one for women—at a Koch Foods Inc. plant. Those arrested were taken to a military hangar at a Mississippi Air National Guard base in Flowood, adjoining the Jackson airport, to be processed for immigration violations. Their wrists were tied with plastic bands, and they deposited their personal belongings in clear plastic bags.
The raids had a significant impact on the local economy and communities in Mississippi. Chicken plants dominate the economies of Morton and other small towns east of Jackson, and many of the families that ICE broke up remain separated years later. Some workers were fired if they couldn't prove they were legally in the country, and businesses that relied on Latino customers faced challenges due to the reduced population.
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Koch Foods and PECO Foods owned five of the seven raided plants
In 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided seven Mississippi chicken processing plants, detaining 680 mostly Latino workers in the largest workplace sting in at least a decade. The plants were owned by four companies: Peco Foods, Koch Foods, Pearl River Foods, and A&B Inc.
Peco Foods confirmed that three of its facilities in Mississippi were being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security: Bay Springs, Canton, and Sebastopol. According to court documents, Peco Foods paid a total of $6,710.96 to an employee using the assumed identity of Isabel Perez in the fourth quarter of 2018.
The ICE raids in Mississippi were part of a broader push by the Trump administration to crack down on migrant labor. While the raids targeted poultry companies believed to be hiring undocumented workers, the companies themselves emerged largely unscathed. In the year following the raids, U.S. immigration authorities referred hundreds of poultry workers for criminal charges tied to identity theft, leading to prolonged detainments and deportations.
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The companies' executives donated thousands of dollars to top Mississippi officials
On August 7, 2019, ICE agents raided seven Mississippi chicken processing plants, arresting 680 mostly Latino workers in the largest workplace sting in at least a decade. The plants were owned by four companies: Peco Foods, Koch Foods, Pearl River Foods, and A&B Inc. These companies dominated the economies of Morton and other small towns east of Jackson, Mississippi.
Koch Foods, one of the largest poultry producers in the US, did not respond to requests for comment following the raids. However, the company held a job fair at the WIN Job Center in Forest, where 216 people applied for jobs.
In the lead-up to the raids, ICE utilized ankle monitors, surveillance, and a confidential informant to gather information on the plants' employees. This informant, an employee at PH Food in Morton, revealed that the majority of the immigrants employed at the plant were undocumented and using false biographical information.
It is important to note that while the raids targeted undocumented workers, the companies themselves emerged largely unscathed. Furthermore, it was reported that executives from Koch Foods and Peco Foods, which collectively owned five of the seven raided plants, had donated thousands of dollars to top Mississippi officials. This raises questions about the role that political connections may have played in the lack of consequences for these companies.
The ICE raids had a significant impact on the workers and their families, many of whom remain separated even years later. The raids also highlighted the reliance of Mississippi's chicken industry on Latino immigrant labor and the challenges companies face in finding workers to fill these demanding jobs.
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The raids were planned months in advance
On August 7, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided seven Mississippi chicken processing plants, detaining 680 mostly Latino workers in the largest workplace sting in at least a decade. The raids, planned months in advance, were part of a large-scale operation targeting undocumented employees.
The raids were the result of a long-term investigation into the employment of undocumented workers at food processing plants in Mississippi. ICE had gathered evidence over several months, including through the use of electronic ankle monitors and a confidential informant. The investigation revealed that many of the workers at the plants were using stolen identities and false biographical information to gain employment.
In the days leading up to the raids, ICE filed for search warrants at the seven plants, which were owned by four companies: Peco Foods, Koch Foods, Pearl River Foods, and A&B Inc. The warrants were approved by a U.S. Magistrate Judge, allowing ICE to move forward with the raids.
On the day of the raids, about 600 ICE agents surrounded the perimeters of the plants to prevent workers from fleeing. Those arrested were taken to a military hangar, where they were processed for immigration violations. The raids caused significant disruption to the local economy, as the chicken plants were a major source of employment in the area.
In the aftermath of the raids, many of the families affected remained separated, and some workers were left without steady employment. While the raids targeted undocumented workers, the companies that employed them faced little to no consequences. This brought attention to the issue of migrant labor exploitation and the need for better protections for undocumented workers.
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The Mississippi chicken plants raided by ICE held job fairs to replace workers
On August 7, 2019, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided seven Mississippi chicken processing plants, arresting 680 mostly Latino workers in the largest workplace sting in at least a decade. The raids, which were planned months in advance, were part of an effort to identify and detain undocumented workers and target poultry companies believed to be hiring them.
The plants were owned by four companies: Peco Foods, Koch Foods, Pearl River Foods, and A&B Inc., associated with MP Food and PH Food plants. Koch Foods, one of the largest poultry producers in the U.S., faced scrutiny for its Morton plant, where workers filled three buses—two for men and one for women—during the raid. In the aftermath, Koch Foods held a hiring fair at the WIN Job Center in Forest, where 216 people applied for jobs.
The raids had a significant impact on the local economy and communities in Mississippi, particularly in small towns like Morton and Carthage, where chicken plants dominate the local economy. Many families that were separated during the raids remain separated years later, and those who remained faced challenges finding work due to their undocumented status.
While the raids targeted undocumented workers, the companies themselves emerged largely unscathed. In the following year, U.S. immigration authorities referred hundreds of poultry workers for criminal charges tied to identity theft, which led to prolonged detainments and deportations. However, only four chicken plant executives were indicted on charges related to the sting operation, while Koch Foods and PECO Foods, owners of five of the seven raided plants, were left out of the indictments despite evidence of hiring undocumented workers.
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Frequently asked questions
Seven Mississippi chicken processing plants were raided by ICE.
The plants were owned by four companies: Peco Foods, Koch Foods, Pearl River Foods, and A&B Inc.
The raids were part of a large-scale operation targeting undocumented employees.
Approximately 680 people, mostly Latino workers, were arrested in the raids.
