As federal immigration enforcement agents took to Charlotte, N.C., arresting more than 130 people this weekend, reports on social media claimed that agents had been spotted in Columbia.
So far, much of what has been reported online have just been rumors or possibly other law enforcement misidentified as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, advocates say. But speculation, quick spreading stories and the fact that ICE officers often do not identify themselves have made it difficult to verify whether the federal agency is operating in Columbia.
Ivan Segura, a community activist in Columbia, confirmed to The State that his nonprofit group had received nearly 30 calls related to immigration enforcement operations, but was only able to verify one – a confirmed spotting off of Two Notch Road on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the S.C. Commission of Minority Affairs said their office had not received any calls related to ICE arrests or spottings…