Is no-excuses rousting of undocumented immigrants really that popular an idea? Not in Arkadelphia, it would appear. The LA Times revisits the scene of the feds’ mass arrest of chicken plant workers there, a move that left kids without parents and a bipartisan array of public officials outraged at heavy-handed tactics against productive, established community members. It’s a good read.

There are several references to the governor in the article, including his work in behalf of one of the arrested workers who had been befriended by a local doctor and Huckabee classmate at OBU. Also:

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But Huckabee, the Republican governor, who may run for president in 2008, called for a White House investigation into why the Arkadelphia plant was targeted.

“Our first priority should be to secure our borders,” Huckabee said in an e-mail to The Times. “I’m less threatened by people who cross the line to make beds, pick tomatoes or pluck chickens” than by potential terrorists crossing the border.

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After the Petit Jean raid, Huckabee donated $1,000 to the workers’ families. Residents and businesses donated $12,000.

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