The nine people who faced federal charges after being arrested during the Aug. 25 Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at Howard Industries in Laurel pleaded guilty Wednesday.

Paula Gomez, Pedro Simon-Vazquez, Tomas Juarez-Perez, Fernando Hernandez-Virgen, Maria Montalvo-Guzman, Migual Bartolome-Perez, Angel Rodriguez Flores, Rigoberto Rodriguez, and Doroteo Fernandez Soto each pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft charges in United States District Court. Although each could have faced several years in prison or thousands of dollars in fines, they were sentenced to 101 days — time served — Wednesday. But, according to the Mississippi Immigration Rights Alliance, the detrimental sentence is the next phase.

“All nine were sentenced to time served,” MIRA Organizing Coordinator Victoria Cintra said. “Now they’ll go back to ICE custody for deportation proceedings within 72 hours.”

Those nine were just a small fraction of the nearly 600 people detained in what became the nation’s largest workplace raid in American history. They were found guilty of working at the Howard Industries transformer plant in Laurel while using the names and Social Security numbers of other people.

The suspects have not said how they obtained the identification information, but several people in Laurel who acknowledged being illegal immigrants told The Associated Press after the raid that it was easy to buy fraudulent documents in the area through word of mouth.

ICE spokesperson Barbara Gonzalez said the investigation continues and “we will go where the evidence leads us.”

“Fraudulent documents may be used to obtain financial benefits and entitlements intended for U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and to obtain unauthorized employment,” she said. “Those who are engaged in document fraud should know that we will continue pursuing these types of investigations.”

She said 413 of the people detained have already been deported and another 23 left the United States on their own.

Cintra said removing people from the country “when they are trying to support their families” is wrong.

“It is still a great injustice to have come this far,” she said.

She also placed blame with the employers, not with the immigrants, for the fraud.

“The immigrants who come to the country to work go to the employers,” she said.

MIRA has planned a march in Jackson for Thursday.

Howard Industries is the largest employer in Jones County and makes products ranging from computers to medical supplies. The company's corporate headquarters in Ellisville was also raided, but no executives have been charged with crimes.

The company has released two statements to the Leader-Call, pointing out both times that “Howard Industries runs every check allowed to ascertain the immigration status of all applicants for jobs. It is company policy that it hires only U. S. citizens and legal immigrants.”