ICE agents target NC’s Pisgah National Forest and make multiple arrests, feds say
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has extended its reach into North Carolina’s wilderness areas to find people suspected of living in the country illegally.
Read more Parents of Nolan Wells’ friends, and local officials, told to expect lawsuit
On Sunday, multiple arrests were made at Wilson Creek recreation area in Pisgah National Forest, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The scenic river is about a 90-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.
“ICE worked with USFS to arrest 13 illegal aliens, many of whom had criminal histories including DUI and illegal reentry – a felony,” ICE Public Information Officer Lindsay Williams told The Charlotte Observer in a July 28 news release.
“All of the illegal aliens have or will receive full due process. They will remain in ICE custody pending their removal or removal proceedings.”
The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office reports it provided assistance during the operation, which included a checkpoint on a federal roadway. County officials note deputies routinely patrol the forest during the summer.
Read more Duke University program faces layoffs after Trump admin cuts teen pregnancy grant
“Federal agents were responsible for the enforcement action, made 13 arrests, and transported those individuals from the scene. The Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office did not take custody of any of the individuals arrested,” Caldwell County Sheriff Kevin Bean said in a release posted to Facebook.
“Reports claiming that children were separated from their families during the operation are false. No children were taken from their families during this enforcement action.”
Wilson Creek is a 49,000-acre wilderness area where visitors can camp, kayak, hunt, fish and hike, according to the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce. Much of the waterway is within the Pisgah National Forest and extends more than 20 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains, the chamber says.
ICE has encouraged people living in the country illegally to use the CBP Home App to get “$2,600 and a free flight to self-deport.”
Read more These are the 911 calls in the Juliana Nzita hanging death case
