At least five Latinos were arrested on Sunday, July 26, at Wilson Creek, a popular river in Caldwell County, during what community members denounced as an operation involving immigration agents.
As of the time of publication, no local or federal authority had confirmed this action.
The complaint comes from relatives of those arrested and from witnesses. Sandra Salazar, a community leader in Morganton and co-founder of Hands of Hope y Adventurous Latinos, he stated to Enlace Latino NC She was able to identify five detainees by name, based on calls from family members who asked for help and from people who recognized the vehicles in videos shared on social media.
Other witnesses told her they saw 10 people in handcuffs, including a woman. Neither figure has been confirmed by the authorities. Salazar is also affected: among those detained is the partner of her cousin.
From the first complaints from the community to the response from the authorities, the protests, the vigil, and the analysis of the case, Enlace Latino NC has been monitoring the ICE operation in Wilson Creek. Read the full coverage here, including all reports, interviews, and updates on this case..
The facts
The situation began to come to light on Sunday around 2 p.m. A local resident, identified as Bruce Gray, wrote to Salazar to warn him that there was an operation underway and that Latino people were being detained.
Gray also posted a warning on social media: anyone without identification should stay away from the river. Meanwhile, Salazar, along with about 20 volunteers, went to the area to assess the situation and assist the families.
When he arrived at the river entrance, three patrol cars from the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office were blocking his path.
They were letting vehicles out, but not in. Salazar claims that a sheriff's deputy confirmed to him that the operation included immigration agents, and says he has that conversation recorded. Enlace Latino NC He could not independently confirm this at the time of publication.
“Since there were no vehicles marked “Department of Homeland Security” or “ICE,” only local agencies were recognized. But we knew immigration was involved because we already had affected individuals notifying us,” Salazar said.
About 30 minutes later, he said, the agency vans began to leave.
Related: Are you observing an immigration operation? Know what you can and cannot do according to the law.
The case of a family
While she was on her way, Salazar received a call from her cousin at the river. “They’re conducting an operation, they’re asking us about the legal status "And they just arrested my partner," he told her, according to Salazar's account.
The arrested man has a case of political asylum Pending, according to her family. Her partner, also in the asylum process, was allowed to leave with her two children, ages 4 and 10. But she didn't leave immediately: “She was afraid it would be like a setup "To arrest her later. That's why she preferred to go down to the river to wait for us," Salazar said.
Salazar's family members removed the woman and children from the area. The man was taken to a detention center in Charlotte, the family said.
“He contacted us last night and we were able to talk.” The man, whom we are not identifying for the safety of his family, told them that if he accepted deportation, he would be sent to Atlanta and then to Guatemala, his country of origin.
The search for families in the river
After the officers withdrew, Salazar asked for help in a second video posted on social media. Between 25 and 30 volunteers, mostly young people, arrived and went down to the river in groups to let the families know they could come out and to search for those who were still hiding.
Several people began to leave, nervous; some left their belongings behind. A young man was looking for his wife and the companions he had arrived with. When they led him to the last place he had seen them, they found that the family had crossed the river to hide.
“Some had stayed in the middle of the water, behind a rock, hiding, waiting for immigration officials to leave,” Salazar said. The man crossed the current to take his children back to the opposite bank. Then he asked Salazar to accompany him to the other side.
“Ma’am, I don’t think I can leave here alone with my family. Do you think you could at least accompany us to the main street?” he said, according to Salazar, who guided him to the main road, on the way to Morganton.
Salazar and the volunteers stayed until nearly 8 pm, patrolling the area to make sure no one had remained hidden waiting for nightfall.
No official confirmation
Consulted by Enlace Latino NC The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said its deputies patrol Wilson Creek on weekends during the summer, using a rotating schedule. However, it did not confirm any operations or arrests.
“I can’t give you that information unless you’re the victim,” a staff member at the office told this news outlet, referring the questions to federal authorities. “It’s federal territory… that’s above our jurisdiction,” they said.
The US Forest Service, which manages the Pisgah National Forest, referred inquiries to its public affairs officer, who did not respond to calls before publication.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also did not respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story. Enlace Latino NC It will be updated as authorities respond and new information emerges.
Related: “Worker’s Eye”: New map tracking immigration raids in North Carolina
The loss of a special space for the Latino community
Over time, as the Latino community in the area grew, Wilson Creek became a classic recreation spot for Hispanic families, who travel from Charlotte, Morganton, and other nearby areas to spend summer weekends.
On social media, the comments following yesterday's events were similar across many community leaders and residents: the operation, they say, took place right where the community gathers to have a good time.
“We knew they were doing their checks and that it was normal, but they never went beyond issuing tickets for not having a license,” Salazar said. “Now that they have immigration agents, the situation has completely changed. Trust is completely broken.”
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