The Effects of the Southeastern Provision ICE Raid on Migrant Communities in East Tennessee: Perspectives from First Responders and Service Providers

Background: In 2018, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted its largest workplace immigration raid in over a decade at the Southern Provisions meatpacking plant outside of Morristown, Tennessee, affecting 104 workers, reportedly based on ethnicity without regard to work or legal status (Heinrich et al., 2022). Over 150 youth had a parent detained. The limited existing research has highlighted adverse effects of raids on academic, health, financial, and other factors for youth and parents (Heinrich et al., 2022; Santillano et al., 2020; Zayas et al., 2015). To expand the limited body of research, this study was designed to explore experiences and perceptions of first responders and providers serving impacted families.

Method: First responders and providers (n=14) were recruited via email. Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish via Zoom to explore experiences working with families who had a member detained during the raid. Interviews were audio-recorded for transcription. Data were analyzed in the language of the interview through inductive coding by the research team to detect themes, subthemes, and exceptions.

Results: Four themes emerged pertaining to the experiences in serving families affected by the raid: 1) communication challenges; 2) response mobilization; 3) impact on families and responders; and 4) resilience. Communication challenges included information gathering, understanding the scope of the raid and the community's affected individuals. Response mobilization reflected various sectors' contributions—legal, volunteer, educational, and faith-based—and their motives, alongside community perceptions and reactions. Impact referred to the immediate health and socioeconomic strains on parents and youth, the repercussions on community dynamics, and trauma among responders and affected families. Resilience encompassed coping mechanisms like trauma coping and forward-moving endeavors among responders and families, underscored by communities' solidarity and support post-raid, uniting despite differences.

Conclusions: Findings offer crucial insights for micro- and macro-level social work providers. At the micro level, understanding factors associated with communication challenges, response mobilization, and impact on and resilience among families and responders can inform targeted interventions and culturally sensitive approaches for those affected by ICE raids. Such approaches may include addressing communication barriers by establishing partnerships with different immigrant-serving sectors, providing comprehensive support services, and fostering resilience-building strategies. At the macro level, findings guide policy advocacy efforts toward protecting migrant rights, addressing systemic vulnerabilities, and promoting inclusive and safe services. Moreover, promoting cultural strengths and community resilience in policy discussions may lead to more holistic policymaking. By integrating these insights into direct practice and advocacy work, social workers and other providers can create more just systems of support for migrant communities affected by immigration enforcement.