Latino community supports people detained by ICE agents

ktbs.com

TEXARKANA, Ark. - ICE enforcement actions at a night club in Texarkana have left several people in the Latino community with more questions than answers.There were multiple people taken into custody last Saturday at Club Level.Various law enforcement officers, including the Department of Homeland Security, shut down operations of club level on Saturday night.“We were sitting down not even 10 minutes past. We had seen the lights turn on and the music just stop,” said Lupita Rodriguez. Rodriquez was there to watch a popular Latino band but instead, she saw her aunt and cousin detained by ICE agents.“We want clarity. We want answers. We want to know what the main mission of the whole operation was,” said Rodriguez.Texarkana police say the operation was targeting unlicensed alcohol sales and underaged drinking rather than a coordinated immigration raid. Police say DHS was called in because several people refused to show identification.Rebecca Quintana says local law enforcement and DHS walked in the club at the same time.“We feel that this was actually an ICE operation and this was not really about drugs, nor was it about alcohol,” said Quintana.“Why were the individuals that were just attending the establishment, that paid to get in, taken away? If this was an alcohol operation,” said Sindy Moya.Moya and her sister Leslie captured the incident with their cell phones.They've been sharing GoFundMe pages on social media to help cover expensive legal representation.“Our main goal is basically so everyone can feel supported, so they can see that they're not alone,” said Moya.The owner of the nightclub and two bartenders were issued citations for the illegal sale of alcohol.