Multiple arrests made during an ICE raid at a Texarkana night club

ktbs.com · By Julie Parr

TEXARKANA, Ark. - ICE agents and local law enforcement officers were captured on video over the weekend taking multiple people into custody outside a Texarkana night club. It happened Saturday night at Club Level on East 9th Street.The band performing that night, "Los Terribles Del Norte," posted a video on its Facebook page as it was happening. The band also issued a statement saying in part that they "stand with the Latino community and what happened is not right."The Miller County Sheriff's office assisted ICE agents in the raid but have not commented on the investigation.Late Monday afternoon, Texarkana Arkansas Police Department released a statement saying the department has received numerous complaints from the community about the illegal sale of alcohol to minors at the club. Officers discovered it didn't per required state permits for the sale or possession of alcohol. TAPD notified the 8th South Drug Task Force, which carried out an undercover operation Saturday where an undercover officer bought alcohol without having to provide proof of age. So, officers began working to determine how many in the club were under the age of 21. Those who cooperated and provided identification were allowed to leave, TAPD said. The club owner and two bartenders were cited for illegal sale of alcohol. There were some inside who were "uncooperative" with TAPD officers and refused to provide their identification or information, TAPD said. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security was involved, TAPD said, referring questions about DHS' activities to the ICE office. "TAPD wishes to express that this was not an organized Immigration operation. This investigation was a response to complaints of an illegal nightclub operation that was reportedly selling alcohol to adults and minors without permits," TAPD said in its news release. Level Dance Club released a lengthy statement on Monday directed to the Latino community, saying, "I stand in solidarity with the families and friends who are experiencing these very difficult moments. I share your pain, anguish, fear, and frustration at not being able to do anything in the face of these events."The club added, "Likewise, this is also a time to remain united as a community — calm, patient, and above all, firm in our convictions. We know that our Hispanic community is made up of hardworking, responsible, and hopeful people who live in this country seeking a better quality of life."Level Dance Club was critical of the ICE operation, saying it not only affected people wanting to have a good time but the club's business as well. ""Our community is impacted by events like this, and it forces us to close businesses that, with your support, we have worked hard to build. From one day to the next, all of our effort and dreams of moving forward are taken away, affecting our sources of income as well as those of our employees," the statement reads. "From the bottom of my heart, I wish for a swift recovery from this situation. I hope that families will soon receive news of their loved ones and, above all, that these difficult times will come to an end so that we may live in peace, working and enjoying life with our community."