ICE came to Lowcountry for ‘focused operation’ targeting cockfights, sheriff says
Jasper County police confirmed they partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct a “focused operation” targeting cockfighting over the weekend.
Deputies and ICE arrested “numerous” people Saturday in connection with a large-scale criminal enterprise involving animal fighting, gambling, drugs and firearms, according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, which added that the operation was not an immigration sweep. “Final (arrest) numbers and additional details” would be released at a later time, the agency said.
ICE became involved at some point during the months-long investigation after some individuals allegedly in the criminal enterprise “were identified as being in the country illegally,” according to the JCSO.
“Let me be clear, this operation was about criminal activity, not who someone is or where they come from,” Sheriff Chris Malphrus wrote in the media release. “If you are operating a criminal enterprise in Jasper County, especially one tied to violence, drugs and animal cruelty, we are going to take action.”
A sheriff’s office alert shared Saturday morning did not mention ICE’s involvement, saying deputies were “conducting search warrants” and that there was “no cause for concern.”
Some residents expressed anger and fear after social media videos shared on Saturday showed a number of apparent ICE agents, along with state game wardens and local deputies, making arrests in various parts of Jasper County.
In one video showing a heavy law enforcement presence at La Poblanita Fresh Market on Ridgeland’s Sweet William Road, several presumed ICE agents were seen wearing face coverings. Other footage showed detainees in handcuffs on the side of the road as officers appeared to be preparing to load them onto a bus.
The JCSO signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE in early March, according to the ACLU. This type of contract, whose use has rapidly expanded during President Donald Trump’s second term, allows state and local police to make immigration-related arrests.
Jasper County deputies are working under a task force 287(g) model, the same program that the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office rejoined in July. The model was adopted last year by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and Department of Public Safety, which houses the state’s Highway Patrol.
The task force program has been described as a “force multiplier” for ICE. It has also been described by critics as the program’s “broadest and deepest form of collusion with ICE,” and has raised local and national concern regarding civil rights violations and racial profiling.
The sheriff’s office release on Tuesday afternoon said multiple federal agencies became involved after the criminal activity was determined to extend beyond county lines. It was unclear what other federal agencies were part of the operation and which surrounding counties were being referenced.
A JCSO spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions Tuesday afternoon about when ICE became involved in the investigation, where detainees were taken and reports of the agency’s newly signed 287(g) agreement.
What happens to the detainees?
It was not immediately clear if those arrested in Saturday’s operation were taken to the local jail or into ICE custody.
Jasper County Detention Center records showed five inmates with ICE holds who had been booked since Sunday. Alongside the holds, they faced charges like driving under the influence, public disorderly conduct, driving without a valid license and possession of a firearm by an unlawful alien. No cockfighting or animal cruelty charges were listed in the most recent inmate roster, which was sent Tuesday morning.
After a person who was born outside the U.S. is booked into jail in Beaufort or Jasper counties, ICE will check the person’s immigration status and can request the inmate be held on a detainer or “ICE hold.” That hold gives ICE 48 hours to come to the detention center and take the person into federal custody, where they can be prosecuted for an alleged immigration violation and possibly deported.
Cockfighting in South Carolina
South Carolina is in the minority of U.S. states that have not classified cockfighting as a felony. The misdemeanor offense is punishable by up to a year in prison for first-time offenders under state law.
The clandestine rings of rooster fighting are mostly seen in rural areas of the Palmetto State, almost always involving gambling on the matches’ outcomes.
Arrests for cockfighting are relatively rare in Jasper County, but a link to report animal fighting is featured prominently on the front page of the sheriff’s office website.
