21 are apprehended in federal agency raid

RUSSELLVILLE — Authorities said Friday there have been no additional raids since 21 people were apprehended during an immigration roundup Sept. 10, and those picked up no longer are in the Franklin County Jail.

Sheriff Shannon Oliver said agents set up at Franklin County Roads 144 and 244, as well as Franklin 75 and 724 and checked for immigration statuses.

Those locations lead into Pilgrim’s Pride, which is at 2045 Franklin 244, Oliver said.

He said the agents were from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Oliver said those apprehended were taken to the Franklin County Jail. He said federal agents had requested temporary use of the jail. They have since transported the 21 people elsewhere. He is not sure where they were taken.

“Agents got them and they have moved them on,” Oliver said.

He said he has been given no update from federal officials and agents have not returned to Franklin County.

“It’s been kind of quiet,” Oliver said. “I haven’t really heard anything. I’ve seen some in the Hispanic community talking about it on Facebook but that’s been about it.”

The sheriff said he believes agents started the checks around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, but they did not stay the entire day.

Oliver said he did not know the agents but all of them, including those with ICE, had markings on their vests identifying themselves as members of their agencies.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has an email address for media inquiries on its website. There was no response to an email sent Wednesday.

This comes amid a widespread effort from President Donald Trump’s administration to crack down on undocumented immigrants.