Social media speculation of federal immigration agents working in Parsons has been exaggerated, according to Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks.
Agents representing or working for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were in Carthage, Missouri, on Tuesday, according to media reports and a statement by Carthage Police Chief Bill Hawkins.
Hawkins reportedly told Joplin TV reporters that his department was cooperating with ICE as required but was not actively assisting their operations. Lt. Eric Miller told the Sun that the ICE agents just notified the department that they would be in town. He didn’t know if they visited businesses or industries or detained anyone because police weren’t involved.
Media contacts for ICE did not return an email from the Sun by press time Thursday.
Spinks said one rumor was that ICE was in Pittsburg and heading to Parsons, which is also false.
Persons on social media noted that two Parsons restaurants were closed on Wednesday. One was closed for an emergency, according to a sign posted on the door. That restaurant was open on Thursday. The other restaurant had an equipment issue and the co-owner said it would be open on Friday.
Spinks said the topic of immigration enforcement came up at a chiefs of police meeting recently. Chiefs received an update on the Trump administration’s directive to deport undocumented people living and working in the U.S.
Spinks said some Kansas- based federal law enforcement officers were sent to Chicago to support the administration’s initiative. Current cities of emphasis include Chicago, Detroit, Aurora, Colorado, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta and parts of Texas. The focus has been on criminals in the country illegally, including those with criminal records, current arrest warrants and gang members.
Other undocumented persons if encountered during the sweeps were being detained as well.
“ICE doesn’t have resources to expend in rural areas that have few criminal illegal aliens and only handfuls of undocumented (non-criminal) aliens,” Chief Spinks told the Sun.
Communication between federal agencies and local law enforcement is being worked out, Spinks said.
Processing arrestees or detainees is another logistical question federal agencies are trying to work out, he said. Even if folks that are headed for deportation are not given a thorough hearing process or deported under the authority of an administrative warrant versus a criminal arrest/ warrant, a person could be in custody for 24, 48, 72, 96 or more hours and will need to be housed/detained, collected, transported and placed on commercial or military flights.
The Associated Press and other media reported that Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is being looked at as an option for detaining undocumented people.
Spinks said there is talk of reactivating the closed Leavenworth Detention Center owned by Corrections Corporation of America. The facility was deactivated in 2021. The facility holds 1,126 inmates.
Spinks said that the Parsons Police Department has a policy related to interactions with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE. First, the department strives to be open and treat all individuals with respect, compassion and courtesy, regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Local law enforcement officers have no statutory authority to enforce civil violations of federal immigration laws, Spinks said. An undocumented person is considered a civil federal violation and not a traditional criminal law violation.
“If ICE were to conduct investigations, sweeps, detentions or arrests, our responsibility would only be to assist with officer or public safety or scene security,” Spinks said.
Undocumented people are dealt with by ICE under its statutory authority and through a civil immigration order or administrative detainer warrant issued by an immigration official and not a judge, Spinks said.
