The immigration operation carried out on Sunday in Wilson Creek did not end with the agents' departure. Since then, community leaders in western North Carolina have been mobilizing to locate those detained, support their families, and demand answers from the authorities.
“We are organizing, planning, and we are going to continue fighting and demanding answers. And we are not going to stop putting pressure on the sheriff… because we are not going to stay silent and we are not afraid of them,” said Ginny Romero, executive director of the Latino Center in the city of Hickory.
Following the immigration operation at Wilson Creek, Romero spoke with Enlace Latino NC and detailed the steps the community plans to take.
Romero learned of the operation on Sunday, from another community leader, when reports began to arrive about what was happening by the river.
He arrived at Wilson Creek after it was already finished. From then on he dedicated himself to locate the detainees, accompany their families and ask the authorities for information.
El Latin Center It serves Catawba, Caldwell, Burke and Alexander counties, and unofficially also supports families in Lincoln.
No official information
Days after the operation, which took place on Sunday, July 26, the community still lacks access to basic information. Neither ICE nor the sheriff's office released the names of those arrested, their ages, or how many were involved. criminal records .
The Latino Center is operating with limited resources. So far, the organization has only been able to contact three of the affected families, Romero said. On the other hand, a immigrant aid organization The West Carolina official confirmed that he was in contact with the families, but that the cases have been referred.
Siembra NCFor his part, he told this media outlet that they are supporting both a local group, as well as churches and impacted families, but that they are still in the process of organizing the aid.
The limited information available to the Center comes directly from the families. “We know that a couple was arrested,” Romero said, “we are trying to support the children.” She also learned of a family from Greensboro who were visiting the river, though she clarified that she didn't yet have all the details.
This is not the first case of separation between children and parents. Yesterday, Enlace Latino NC He told the story of a man arrested in the operation whose partner and children, aged 4 and 10, were with him that day.
Romero believes the authorities' silence is deliberate. "They're hiding behind these excuses," he said. "The sheriff doesn't want to show his face."
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. See here for full coverage with all reports, interviews and updates on this case.
At the board of commissioners
No answers at the sheriff's office, The community brought their questions to the Caldwell County Board of Commissioners meeting.
The room was full and the public comments were taken up by those who demanded explanations of what had happened.
Romero also spoke there, and asked that his questions be publicly recorded: He wants to know How many of those arrested had criminal records?, whether any had an outstanding arrest warrant, how many children were detained and how many families were separated.
“Marshal Bean decided we weren’t worth his time to answer our questions,” he told the commissioners.
He also demanded to know if anyone profited financially from the operation. “Every arrest is money,” he said. “We have to follow the money.” Caldwell County has maintained a agreement with ICE under the 287(g) program, and the community is asking for transparency in how that collaboration works.
Then Sandra Salazar, a community leader from Morganton, spoke. She had been at the river on Sunday, and her own family was... affectedShe presented herself as a concerned citizen, "not only for myself and my family, but also for the immigrant community."
“I’ve been going to Wilson Creek for over 25 years and I always felt safe, until yesterday,” she said. She warned that the operation not only generated fear but also limited access to a public space that immigrant families from several counties have enjoyed for years. In a place of steep trails and fast-flowing water, she added, panic can have serious consequences.
“We gave the sheriff the opportunity to face us and speak with us. He refused,” she said. “That’s why we’re here to file a formal complaint. We want answers.”
Related: ICE immigration arrests in the US increased 26.6% during June 2026
Next steps
Romero concluded his remarks with a warning to the commissioners. “I will continue to wait for those answers,” he said. “I hope they don’t think this ends here, because we will hold our leaders accountable. We pay taxes and we deserve to be properly represented, not just a select few.”
The organization plans to appear at every board of commissioners and city council meeting it can.
“We will be present,” Romero told Enlace Latino NC “Or if we can’t, we’re going to make sure there are people present who represent our community,” he said.
The Latino Center is also considering legal action to obtain the information through a public information request. For now, they insist they will not remain silent.
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