The Committee on Homeland Security held a field hearing at Tougaloo College, Thursday, November 7, 2018. The hearing highlighted the impact on the community from the massive August immigration raid. The two-panel hearing, titled Immigration Raids: Impacts and Aftermath on Mississippi Communities, were led by U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, representative for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District.

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Monica San Roman Diaz holds a sign during a field hearing at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., November 7, 2019. The hearing highlighted the impact on the community from the massive immigration raid in August.
Professor Cliff Johnson, from left, the Rev. Odel Medina, Constance Slaughter-Harvey and Lorena Quiroz serve as panelist during a field hearing at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., November 7, 2019. The hearing highlighted the impact on the community from the massive immigration raid in August.
Members of the Hispanic community hold signs in protest of the August immigration raids during a field hearing at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., November 7, 2019.
A member of the audience holds her head down while covering her face during the field hearing at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss., November 7, 2019.
Panelists from Thursday’s field hearing included, from left, Jere Miles, an ICE special agent from the New Orleans Field Office, Scott County Sheriff Mike Lee and Canton Mayor William Truly Jr.
Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, questions witnesses at hearing on Mississippi chicken plant raids.
Jere Miles, an ICE special agent from the New Orleans Field Office, defended the raid at a field hearing at Tougaloo College on Thursday, Nov. 7. 

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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.