Black and Hispanic Divide in Mississippi

The recent raid by ICE of an electronics factory in Laurel, MS, had all the ear-marks of previous raids, but it also uncovered an underlying tension between black and Hispanic workers. The LA Times reports that black co-workers applauded as ICE agents hauled Latino workers away. The Hispanic population of Laurel has grown rapidly. These tensions are basically over jobs. Hispanics seem to be preferred to black, and American-born workers feel they have kept wages low at Howard Industries. The Times article goes on to speculate that such raids will decline in Obama administration, though it is doubtful what would happen under McCain.