An American flag and a Mexican flag hang on neighboring homes in Morton.
Justin Alexander Armenta, right, sits with his cousin, Joshua Molina, at Betty’s Mexican Food in Morton, Miss., Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019. Justin, who is 11 and has autism, has been under the care of his aunt since his mother was detained during the ICE raids on Aug. 7, 2019.
Maria Armenta Pita now takes care of her nephew, 11-year-old Justin Alexander Armenta, since his mother, Griselda Salas, was detained during the raids in Morton. Pita has taken on the responsibility of taking care of Justin while his father works extra hours to support the family.
“She has done nothing wrong! … She doesn’t have a record!” Maria Armenta Pita cried, referring to the detainment of Griselda Salas, Pita’s sister and mother of 11-year-old Justin.
Doroteo Lopez sits next to his 5-year-old son Lesvi Lopez. Lopez’s wife, mother of Lesvi, was detained at Peco Foods Inc. during the Aug. 7 ICE raids.
Doroteo Lopez holds his 5-year-old son Lesvi Lopez during the Poor People’s Campaign’s “Everybody’s Got a Right to Live” mass at Liberty Missionary Baptist Church in Canton, Miss., Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019.
Community organizer Nayely Perez, of SEIRN, left, gives Doroteo Lopez community resources during the Poor People’s Campaign’s “Everybody’s Got a Right to Live” mass.
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach, and national co-chair of the “Poor People’s Campaign” speaks during the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival during the Poor People’s Campaign’s “Everybody’s Got a Right to Live” mass moral meeting Liberty Missionary Baptist Church in Canton, Miss., Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019.
A collage of Griselda Salas with her son, Justin Alexander Armenta. Salas was detained at Koch Foods Inc., on Aug. 7, 2019.
Doroteo Lopez and 5-year-old son, Lesvi Lopez, attend a mass in Canton, Miss., about three weeks after Lesvi’s mother was detained at Peco Foods Inc., during the August ICE raids.

Read the full story here.

Creative Commons License

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

Avatar photo

Eric J. Shelton was a 2018 corps member in Report for America, and joined the team as our first photojournalist. A native of Columbia, Miss., Eric earned his bachelor’s in photojournalism from the University of Southern Mississippi. He was a multimedia journalist for Abilene Reporter-News, chief photographer for the Hattiesburg American and photo editor for the Killeen Daily Herald before joining our team June 2018. He rejoined Mississippi Today as our health photojournalist in January 2022.