New American Media uses the detention of 600 Howard Industries workers as an inroad to examining ethnic tension in Laurel, Miss. The author is particularly sensitive to immigrants, but this falls far short of advocacy. Good sourcing from all sides of the issue, and lots of gritty, textural details make it a compelling read.

Excellent report on how immigration and race issues play out in Laurel, Mississippi, where 600 people were detained in an immigration sweep last August. The reporter provides good factual evidence about this incident, and fairly cites viewpoints from key stakeholders on both sides of the issues. More importantly, he provides invaluable context about constructive solutions to immigration issues.

Goes behind the headlines to find a more nuanced story.

A heavily biased article that insists on calling illegal immigrants "undocumented," as though for the want of a few papers their presence in the United States would be quite legal. The article introduces a second bias by associating the controversy over illegal immigration with racism and America's struggle for civil rights. These flaws make it difficult for me to recommend this article as an example of good journalism.

This is a well reported story on the ethnic makeup of Laurel, Mississippi and the situation and opinions after the ICE raid of the Howard Industries transformer plant. It is clearly sympathetic to immigrants but paints a good picture of their integration into society and provides counter examples to the picture of racial divide that emerged immediately after the raid.