ICE was in Bluffton on Friday. Here’s what we know

Immigration Officers arrested over a dozen people in Bluffton last Friday as part of an operation, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

The operation targeted people who failed to comply with deportation orders, according to a sheriff’s office alert. Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and BCSO all participated.

BCSO’s role in the operation consisted of “operational support, officer safety coordination, and logistical assistance,” according to BCSO’s alert.

Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about Friday’s ICE operation.

What happened?

A video posted to Facebook from Ana Ramirez, a Beaufort County resident and immigrant advocate, showed 15 handcuffed men in the custody of local and federal officers at the Myrtle Park Government Center. The men were loaded onto a white bus shortly after.

Ramirez questioned officers about the arrests, and was told that agents were allowed to make “collateral arrests.” These arrests are of other undocumented people located in the process of arresting a targeted person.

Ramirez said a couple of families have come forward to say their family member was among the men arrested Friday. Ramirez and others are working to connect the families with resources to assist them, she said. She is disappointed that BCSO participated in the operation, she said.

What’s happening now?

Ramirez said ICE agents were spotted in Bluffton over the weekend as well. BCSO Public Affairs Officer Lt. Daniel Allen said the BCSO’s involvement in the operation has concluded.

SLED and BCSO directed further questions about the operation to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. DHS did not respond to questions about the operation, or whether collateral arrests were allowed or made. The Island Packet submitted questions to the federal agency on Friday and again on Monday.

Why was the sheriff’s office involved?

BCSO participated in the operation due to its 287(g) task force agreement with ICE, which grants it the ability to enforce immigration law. BCSO signed the agreement last summer, despite pushback from some in the community.

What happens now?

The Lowcountry Immigration Coalition will hold an emergency community meeting today from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for families affected by the operation. The coalition is a nonprofit organization which advocates for the Lowcountry’s immigrants. The meeting will have attorneys and counselors available to provide support, according to the coalition’s Facebook post about the meeting.

To learn your rights and what to do if ICE comes to your door, read our previous reporting.