Saturday, August 09, 2008

Unintended Consequences of Immigration Raids

It turns out that Somali immigrants are replacing the Mexicans and Guatemalans who were shipped back to their home nations during a raid at a Postville, Iowa meatpacking plant. I have wonder how this will turn out, given that the rancor directed at migrant labor in America has virtually nothing to do with their illegal status and almost everything to do with race. You Iowans didn't like Mexicans? Let's see how you like Africans then! This story doesn't address this issue except to quote the mayor that the workers are blending in fine. But I'd really like to hear from the local residents about their once all-white town now having a large number of black people.