'ICE' comes to Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted raids at possibly two ethnic restaurants in Columbus on Wednesday afternoon. 

According to Facebook posts, ICE agents were seen at Camila's (25th St. & Central Ave.) and TaColumbus (State Street) Mexican restaurants. Both eateries were closed for the afternoon and evening. It is not known how many, if any, individuals were arrested.

Seymour and Bloomington officials said ICE was also in their cities on Wednesday.

The City of Columbus released a statement on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. regarding the ICE activity in Columbus:

"We are aware of the recent reports of ICE activity at local restaurants earlier today. Neither the city administration nor the Columbus Police Department received any advance notice about this operation, and we were not aware it was happening. Because federal agencies like ICE operate independently, they are not required to notify local municipalities or law enforcement within their jurisdictions."

The statement continued, "At this moment, we still do not know if anyone was taken into custody or how long these operations might continue in our area. We want to reassure the community that, in line with our local policies, the Columbus Police Department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement sweeps and has not entered into any agreement with federal law enforcement to participate in such action. We are committed to keeping everyone informed and safe, and we will share verified updates as soon as we have more information."