Howard Industries Exec Donates to Tough-on-Immigration Candidates, Hires Illegals

The Howard Industries electrical equipment plant in Laurel, Mississippi, was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Monday. ICE rounded up 350 suspected undocumented workers in the raid.

Howard Industries CEO Billy Howard couldn't be reached for comment right away. But he and his wife can be reached for campiagn donations. OpenSecrets.org lists contributions to candidates like GOP Congressman Chip Pickering, Dem Senate candidate Ronny Musgrove, GOP Secretary of State candidate C. Delbert Hosemann, and GOP Senator Trent Lott, all of whom have talked the need to crack down on illegal immigration.

By the way, Howard Industries got a $31.5-million subsidy (er, "taxpayer-backed incentive plan") from the Mississippi Legislature in 2002. Howard Industries also got $20M in Gulf Opportunity Zone tax credits from the federal government (i.e., us— see this PDF July 2008 report from the GAO, p. 46).

Good capitalist patriots, all, those big business owners. Sure wouldn't want to arrest pillars of the community like that. Just the poor folks they take advantage of.