Rosendo Lira, shown with his daughter, Bella, who just turned 15. SUBMITTED PHOTO NOTE: This story has been updated with new information provided by the Wise County Sheriff’s Office Monday, July 27. Wise County has seen a surge in arrests of undocumented immigrants this month, mostly through the sheriff’s office partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The partnership with the federal agency has led to immigration enforcement for multiple felony offenders. It also led to the arrest of a 59-year-old Decatur resident and local business owner who was preparing for his daughter’s quinceañera the following day. The county signed a 287(g) agreement to participate in the ICE Task Force Model on April 13. That agreement allows the WCSO to work with federal agents working on immigration enforcement. A review of Wise County Jail records show 28 people were arrested on immigration charges between July 1 and July 26. The records show the WCSO was the arresting agency on 27 of those cases. The arrests seemed to peak recently when eight people were arrested during a two-day period, July 16 and July 17. Rosendo Lira was home on Friday, July 17, mowing his yard to prepare for friends and family coming to town — including his mother traveling from Mexico — to celebrate his daughter Bella’s quinceañera. Lira’s older daughter, Synthia Lira, relayed the following information about what happened to her father. Lira left to get gas for a machine he was using when he was stopped less than three minutes from home by a WCSO deputy for crossing a yellow line, she said. He showed them his driver’s license and his work permit, both of which were valid, according to Synthia. Lira was taken into custody after a detainer was ordered by ICE, Synthia said the family was told by their lawyer. At a commissioner’s meeting on Monday, Wise County Sheriff Cary Mellema said the arrest was made because ICE provided information that Lira had a final order of removal issued in August of 2020. Lira’s family contends he did not have a final order of removal, and the 2020 court order the sheriff referenced is under appeal. Wise County Sheriff Cary Mellema speaks during Monday’s Wise County Commissioners meeting at the courthouse. Austin Jackson/WCMessenger An immigrant’s journey After spending two days at the Wise County Jail, Lira was picked up by ICE July 19 and taken to the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, located 160 miles west of Decatur. Online records from the Department of Homeland Security confirm that Lira remained at the facility Wednesday, July 29. Synthia said her dad told her from jail to go ahead with the quinceañera, held at the Women’s Building at the Wise County Fairgrounds in Decatur. “He said he may not be there, but he wanted Bella to enjoy it all and have fun on her big day,” Synthia said. Bella was born 15 years ago with Down Syndrome. “My dad was Bella’s biggest advocate always, even before they officially got to meet her,” she said. “My dad proudly wears T-shirts supporting Down Syndrome. Every year, he makes sure we celebrate Bella in some way on March 21 (World Down Syndrome Day). He will take her to the arcades, a zoo, a small trip somewhere just so she will feel extra special. My dad takes time from work to see her receive awards from school, to join her at the Wise County Olympathon.” When her dad asked Bella what she wanted for her birthday, she said a pink Barbie car, according to her older sister. Since Bella will not be able to drive, her father came up with something else. “He rented her the pinkest limousine for her quinceañera so she could be taken to church in a pink car, so she could be taken to the Women’s Building for her party,” Synthia said. “He was unable to see her smile when she saw it. Bella lit up. Her dream came true, thanks to her dad.” When Bella asked where her dad was, the family told her he had a big surprise and he would join them later. Synthia said she traveled to Anson last week and spoke with her dad, who cried as she told him about the celebration. Lira was born in Mexico, the oldest of seven siblings. He attended school until the fifth grade when he dropped out to start working at the age of 10 to help support his younger siblings, according to Synthia. “My dad always told me stories of how he had to work to help provide at least some beans so his sisters and brother could eat. He wouldn’t eat if there was not enough,” she said. Lira immigrated to Decatur when he was around 30 years old. He continued to work, Synthia said, and eventually created his own small business, Lira’s Concrete, which pours foundations for homes, driveways and patio slabs in the area. He also learned to speak English. Over the past several decades, Lira started a family and had five kids. All but one, Bella, has graduated from Decatur High School. Rosendo Lira with his daughter, Bella. SUBMITTED PHOTO Concern in the community The recent increase in immigration-related arrests have seemed to cause some concern locally. In one social media message sent to the Messenger last Wednesday, July 22, a Decatur resident asked, “How safe is it to drive through town without my passport? And how many residents have been taken already?” Other similar messages requesting information about the ongoing immigration actions were also received by the Messenger over the next couple of days. In response to the Messenger’s request for information on the July 16 and July 17 arrests, which included the date Lira was arrested, the WCSO provided a news release regarding the results of its cooperation with ICE since April. Although it didn’t specifically address the arrests from the dates requested, it did provide an overview of actions taken since the 287(g) agreement was signed and addressed some of the concerns. Sheriff Mellema said deputies would not go “door-to-door” in an attempt to ascertain immigration status. “Our community members should know that deputies from the Wise County Sheriff’s Office will not go door-to-door in neighborhoods, into commercial businesses, sporting events, or other public gatherings or festivals in an attempt to ascertain immigration status.” Mellema said in the news release. “Our efforts are in coordination with other enforcement operations or pursuant to criminal warrant service.” One video posted on social media that was shared widely showed people in hand restraints boarding a bus outside of the Women’s Building. That video drew hundreds of comments and shares throughout the community, with many expressing concerns about federal immigration enforcement action in Wise County. In response, the Messenger contacted the Wise County Judge’s Office July 23 to inquire if ICE had rented the Women’s Building for use as a temporary detention center but was told the county did not have any rental agreement with federal authorities to use the building for that purpose. However, county departments can use the building as long as they reserve it. The Messenger was told that the Wise County Sheriff’s Office had reserved the building the week of July 13 to July 17 for the Junior Sheriff’s Academy, and the building had been reserved by the WCSO July 21 and 22 by the WCSO K9 unit. The Messenger confirmed with the WCSO that the bus seen in the video at the Women’s Building had been used for immigration enforcement. “Both the detainees from last Thursday and Friday (July 16 and 17), as well as those at the Women’s Building, were contacted during traffic enforcement,” WCSO Chief Deputy Eric Debus said. “Those without legal documentation and verified immigration status were turned over to ICE agents per the 287(g) agreement.” Decatur Police Chief Delvon Campbell — who last month withdrew his request for the city to participate in the ICE task force model — confirmed with the Messenger that Decatur PD was not involved with the recent string of arrests of undocumented immigrants. Rosendo Lira’s daughter, Bella, had her quinceañera at the Women’s Building at the Wise County Fairgrounds last weekend. MICAH MCCARTNEY/WCMESSENGER Closer look at the numbers A review of Wise County Jail public records showed from Jan. 1 to April 12 — the day before the county signed its current agreement with ICE — a total of 19 immigration-related arrests were processed through the jail among all law enforcement agencies in the county. From April 13 to July 26, jail records show 65 such arrests were made, including 51 from the WCSO alone. Of those 51 immigration-related arrests by the WCSO, 40 of the individuals had no other criminal charge listed at the time of the arrest. Of the 11 that did have a criminal charge, nine were for misdemeanor offenses. One individual had an additional charge of possession of a controlled substance 1 to 4 grams, a third degree felony offense. A Bridgeport man was arrested over this past weekend on an immigration charge along with four charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second degree felony offense. Recent enforcement efforts resulted in detainment of individuals from Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, India, Brazil, Burma, Venezuela, Romania and the Dominican Republic, according to the news release. The WCSO stated each of those individuals had a final order of removal, were held on immigration violations, or were determined to have no valid work permit or visa, and did not have pending court dates. At Monday’s commissioner meeting, Mellema provided additional details on the immigration arrests since April 13, saying that those arrested have included members of drug cartels, human traffickers and members of a Venezuelan gang which the United States and Texas have designated as a terrorist organization. The Messenger previously highlighted some of these efforts by the WCSO along U.S. 81/287 in a feature last September. “This year alone, our deputies have arrested cartel members, three individuals identified as members of Tren de Aragua, four Romanians, drug traffickers, and rescued a child from human trafficking along Highway 287,” Mellema said at the meeting Monday. “We recently arrested two individuals from India who were in the country illegally and driving commercial 18-wheelers, along with numerous individuals from countries including Brazil, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico. Some of those arrested had multiple DWI convictions, and others had previously been deported. That doesn’t even begin to cover the amount of methamphetamine and other illegal drugs we’ve taken off our highways. That list is quite extensive.” Also at Monday’s meeting, Mellema estimated that 95 percent of those arrested on immigration charges through the WCSO are non-Wise County residents. Based on Wise County Jail information, of the 51 immigration arrests that have been processed through the local jail since April 13, 32 were not local residents, 12 were Wise County residents, and seven had no address listed. Of the 44 with known addresses, 27 percent of the immigration arrests involved Wise County residents (approximately one in four) while 73 percent were non-local residents. The sheriff said his office does not focus on race, ethnicity or national origin, but instead focuses on whether a law has been violated and if they have legal authority to act. “As sheriff, I will not back down because some people disagree with certain laws or believe those laws should not apply to them,” Mellema said at Monday’s meeting. “My badge is colorblind. I took an oath to enforce the law fairly, equally, and without favoritism or prejudice.” Synthia said she disagrees with the WCSO characterization of her father’s arrest, both in the news release and from the sheriff’s comments Monday to commissioners. She said her dad does not have a final deportation order, but the family’s attorney thinks he was possibly flagged for a past immigration court order that was appealed. “The appeal has been pending for several years now,” she said. “Our lawyers have explained to us that due to this pending appeal, my dad had no reason to be detained as my dad has not violated the terms of his work permit and committed no crime, and my dad also legally cannot be deported with a pending appeal in place.” Until the situation is resolved, she said she will continue to speak up on her father’s behalf. “I will continue to advocate for my father,” she said. “I will be making the drive to see him weekly. I will be his voice, I will be Bella’s voice. No daughter should be separated from their father, especially when she can’t understand why.” She said the family’s attorney is working on a petition to release Lira from the detention center.