Two men were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Monday morning, following a traffic accident in Dana, a community in Henderson County, in western North Carolina.
The crash occurred around 6:40 a.m. at the intersection of Dana Road and Upward Road, in front of the El Charrito Mexican store, the post office, and a church.
“I saw the boys crash, I saw everything from inside the store,” he told Enlace Latino NC An employee of the business, whose name this publication is withholding at her request for her safety, said the two young men were customers of the store, which is why she recognized them.
That morning they weren't heading to the shop: they were walking down the street when they crashed at the traffic light.
Detained by ICE: what the community reported
“One of the people who was outside came into the store and I asked, 'Why were you arrested?' and that's when they told me it was ICE,” the witness said.
According to her, agents from the Henderson County Sheriff's Office and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol were also present.
The Organization Hello Caroline This morning, the company published an alert about what happened.
“After a State Trooper and Sheriff’s deputies arrived, another vehicle arrived whose occupants were allegedly Immigration/ICE agents. Subsequently, two young men were detained,” the post stated, urging the community to remain calm and avoid sharing unconfirmed information.
Presence of ICE and the Highway Patrol
Another organization that defends the rights of immigrants in the western part of the state informed this media outlet that a crane He took the vehicle of the place and that, as far as they could find out, there was a presence of ICE and the Highway Patrol.
Enlace Latino NC He contacted the Highway Patrol, who confirmed his presence at the accident, but denied having collaborated with immigration authorities.
The office of Henderson County SheriffMeanwhile, she responded that she was not involved in the incident and that she had no information about it.
As of the time of this report, ICE had not responded to a request for information from this media outlet, nor was the identity of the two men, where they are being held, or what charges they face known.
Highway Patrol presence state
State agents arrived at the scene around 6:47 a.m., the agency reported. Enlace Latino NC By then, ICE personnel were already there.
“We were informed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel were on the scene and had become involved in the investigation,” said Lt. Christopher D. Knox, of the agency’s public information office.
When asked about the origin of the warning, Knox replied, “Apparently, he was notified upon arrival at the scene by someone, not by radio or any other prior communication.” He added that the identity of that person is still unknown.
During the investigation, the two men involved in the collision were arrested by ICE personnel and removed from the scene.
Knox clarified that the agency he represents did not call federal agents to the scene of the accident and that its members did not detain or transport the two men.
The distinction is relevant because today state agents do not have the power to make immigration arrests, although A state law passed this year mandates that they have them..
Enlace Latino NC He asked the Highway Patrol if they had already signed the agreement that would allow it.
“We are still working on the implementation of Senate Bill 153, and there is no agreement in place at this time,” Knox responded.
This is law SB 153, in effect since June 24, which orders the commander of the state Highway Patrol to sign an agreement with ICE under the 287(g) program, a federal mechanism that empowers state and local agencies to perform immigration functions under the supervision of federal officials.
The timeline for that implementation remains unclear.According to experts consulted by this publication, the North Carolina General Assembly granted them Until 1 October to present a report on migration agreements.
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