At least 28 people were detained by ICE in Clark County, Indiana, during a two-day enforcement operation that left the local immigrant community afraid to leave their houses. The Clarksville Police Department confirmed that federal agents used its headquarters as a staging area earlier this week. Local businesses and immigrant services groups said they noticed a major change in the community after the arrests. One restaurant owner said customers stopped coming in because “there was a lot of fear” after ICE appeared in the area.
The operation took place between Wednesday and Thursday in Clark County, according to local reporting by WAVE. Neighbors and community organizations said they had seen an increased federal presence in recent days. The activity was noticeable enough that a local restaurant serving the Latino community shut its doors for the day. Immigrant services organizations also reported appointment cancellations as clients told them they were too afraid to leave their homes.
El Mañanero Breakfast Spot, a restaurant on Eastern Boulevard, was one of the businesses hit by ICE. The restaurant has become popular with the area’s large Latino community. Owner Noe Muñoz said he closed the restaurant Thursday because of the mood in the community. He said people were not simply staying away from restaurants, but avoiding ordinary trips outside because they were afraid of being arrested and deported.
WAVE reported that the Clarksville Police Department confirmed ICE agents had used its headquarters as a staging area for the federal operation. The outlet also reported that at least 28 people were detained between Wednesday and Thursday in Clark County. The Clarksville Police Department headquarters was the base of operations for the federal agents. Neighbors and community groups told the outlet they had noticed more federal activity in the area in recent days.
“I know there was a lot of fear yesterday and the day before with ICE,” Muñoz told WAVE. “My customers, I mean, they don’t want to go out.” He said customers were afraid to drive because they believed people were being pulled over and profiled. Muñoz added that he believed people were being stopped “for no apparent reason,” though law enforcement had not responded to requests for comment by the time of the report.
Muñoz said he had never seen a Corydon police officer performing traffic stops in Clarksville. Corydon is more than 20 miles away from Clarksville. WAVE reported that the Corydon Police Department is the only police department in southern Indiana enrolled in a program to act on behalf of ICE. Neighbors also reported a significant ICE presence outside the Home Depot in Clarksville on Wednesday, where sources said many Latino workers would go for jobs.
By Friday, activity outside the Home Depot had reportedly dropped off. Muñoz said some of his regular customers had not returned after the enforcement activity. “There has been customers that I haven’t seen,” he told WAVE. He said people had started asking around about missing customers, only to hear answers like, “No, they got deported,” or, “I got a hold of them and we don’t know, like they’re still detained.”
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Hispanic Connection of Southern Indiana, an immigrant services organization, also said the ICE activity was changing how people were behaving. The organization has interacted with approximately 11,000 immigrant families in the area over the past 25 years. Lillian Rose, the president of the organization, said the group normally has appointments booked solid for weeks in advance. In recent weeks, however, she said the organization had seen many cancellations.
“We normally have booked solid two, three weeks ahead of us,” Rose told WAVE. “And in the last month or so, we’ve had lots of cancellations.” Rose said clients had told the organization they were afraid to leave home for appointments. She also said the group was looking at a mobile or virtual service model in response. The point, she said, was that the legal and immigration processes those families are dealing with do not stop just because ICE is active in the area.
“These processes continue,” Rose said. “You know, they don’t care if ICE is out there.” She said clients still have deadlines they have to meet. “And if we don’t meet them, all the money spent, the whole process just goes to waste,” she added. Rose said she is retiring from the organization, though she hoped families would continue to rely on the group’s services.
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