Eleven people who were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Jackson and Meridian areas Feb. 22 are pleading guilty to violating the federal Re-entry of Deported or Removed Alien Act, Mississippi Business Journal reports.

They are among 55 foreign nationals who were arrested by ICE agents who made surprise raids on eight Asian restaurants.

The others were sent to the ICE Detention Facility in Jena, La., and then deported   because they had not previously been formally ordered to leave the United States, Jackson lawyer Carlos Tanner told the publication.

Tanner is the court-appointed attorney for Marcelino Gregorio-Hernandez, who pleaded guilty. Gregorio-Hernandez and other detainees have been kept at the Madison County Detention Center.

Ichiban Chinese restaurants in Flowood and Pearl were raided, as were China Buffet in Pearl, Red Samurai in Madison and Hibachi Express in Clinton.

In Meridian, foreign nationals were arrested at Sake Sushi and China II.


We want to hear from you!

Central to our mission at Mississippi Today is inspiring civic engagement. We think critically about how we can foster healthy dialogue between people who think differently about government and politics. We believe that conversation — raw, earnest talking and listening to better understand each other — is vital to the future of Mississippi. We encourage you to engage with us and each other on our social media accounts, email our reporters directly or leave a comment for our editor by clicking the button below.


Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.