“Keeping Things under the Rug”: Racial Dynamics in the Context of Large Immigration Raids in Rural Mississippi☆

Abstract

A large body of literature has evidenced racism and other challenges experienced by Latinx immigrants working in the food system and rural communities in the U.S. Despite a large number of studies showing complex and difficult realities experienced by Latinx immigrants, little has been studied about how immigration law enforcement operations impact Latinx communities and racial dynamics in rural communities. Analyzing 26 interviews with Latinx organizers and allies involved in community responses in the aftermath of the large immigration raids, this study examines how the raids shaped racial dynamics and local actions to address Latinxs' problems. Findings show the immigration raids were seen as an “invasion” that created fear, distrust, and racial stigmatization among Latinx immigrants. After the raids, Latinx groups and allies mobilized resources for the affected families, contesting the binary racial order. However, community responses were challenged by white supremacy and racism that aimed to keep “things under the rug” by ignoring Latinxs' problems created and exacerbated by the immigration raids. These findings highlight unique characteristics of ongoing racialization processes in U.S. rural settings and illustrate how white supremacy and racism continue to shape what goes on within and outside rural communities.