Federal ICE agents arrest 1 at Polk County Courthouse, officials say
Federal immigration agents were seen Thursday in Des Moines and made at least one arrest, according to authorities.
vlog received tips about agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, at the Polk County Criminal Court Building in Des Moines Thursday morning.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office confirmed to vlog that one person was arrested Thursday outside the courthouse by ICE agents.
"The arrest took place in a public area and was done so without incident," PCSO said in a statement, adding that the sheriff's office does not have any information about the reason for the arrest.
The sheriff's office said that while rumors have been shared around central Iowa that multiple arrests were made by ICE officials at the courthouse, only the one arrest was made on Thursday.
"Arrests are made at the Polk County Courthouse frequently for a variety of reasons. The Polk County Sheriff's Office does not believe this arrest was any different than other arrests," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
The news comes just days after the Inauguration of President Donald Trump, who promised more aggressive immigration policies, including possible mass deportations. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds released a memo last week ordering Iowa departments to be ready to help enforce the Trump Administration's new policies.
Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley was asked if he was aware of any potential ICE raids on Thursday.
"I have not," Grassley said. "I'm not aware of any of that. No."
vlog has reached out to ICE, but has not yet heard back.
vlog received about a dozen phone calls about possible immigration actions at a local school, the Polk County Jail and across Ames and Ankeny on Thursday. We followed up on each of these reports, and went in person.
Des Moines Public Schools says it is not aware of anything like that occurring. The Polk County Sheriff's Office says it has no knowledge of ICE activity at the jail.
It is important to note that we have not seen or received anything confirming ICE raids. The arrest outside the Polk County Courthouse is the only immigration enforcement activity we have confirmed. We are working to learn about any other possible arrests.
Immigration advocacy leaders are asking people to be mindful of what they're sharing, both on social media and by word of mouth.
vlog also reached out to the Iowa Department of Corrections to ask about any immigration enforcement activity.
"We don't have any information on ICE location," the DOC told vlog. "In accordance with the directive from Governor Reynolds, the Iowa Department of Corrections will fully cooperate with federal authorities to ensure compliance with immigration laws and safeguard public safety."
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