LAWRENCE, Kan. — Residents in Lawrence, Kansas, took to social media throughout the day Tuesday – warning others about an increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in multiple areas across the town.
Reports came in at about 7 a.m., and according to social media post, the locations included the RevCity church parking lot, areas near Hillcrest Elementary, El Potro Mexican Cafe and Kwik Shop.
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One of those residents, Alicia Kinuwan, said what started as a normal morning quickly turned into something else after she encountered an ICE agent at the Kwik shop on 25th and Iowa.
Kinuwan told FOX4 that she was running her usual errands when she noticed several vehicles parked along Iowa Street.
“We were just driving to the grocery store which is that way [North],” Kinuwan said. “But when we were driving by here, we noticed all these vehicles, even parked on this busy street.”
Concerned about what she was seeing, Kinuwan decided to pull into the Kwik Shop nearby to get a closer look at the license plates. But that’s when she said the situation escalated.
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“I decided to pull up into this gas station here so I could get out and get that license plate and the make and model. And that’s when I got attacked,” she said.
Kinuwan claims she was confronted by an unmasked officer moments before she was struck on the arm.
“He literally jumped up and he had this compartment on his vest and that’s what hit my arm right here,” she said pointing to her right elbow. “It was literally numb immediately after that.”
She said the experience was not only painful, but deeply upsetting, especially as an Indigenous woman and community advocate.
Another resident told FOX4 they noticed on social media that this was happening at El Potro Mexican Cafe, which appeared to have a temporary closure sign posted on the front entrance.
Online, Sanctuary Alliance, a local immigrant advocacy group, has been providing information to the public through their social media channels, sharing several posts and videos about the reported ICE activity throughout Lawrence. When contacted for comment, a team member told us they are not speaking with the media at this time due to the large number of calls they’ve received.
The Lawrence Police Department also addressed the community’s concerns on social media, posting that the department is not involved in any of the reported operations. The post said in part:
“Lawrence, Kansas Police Department leaders are aware of social media reports about immigration agents being in our city. We’ve seen the videos and pictures. LKPD has not been contacted by the Department of Homeland Security and LKPD has not provided any assistance.
“As a reminder, immigration law is not a function of the Lawrence Kansas Police Department. In addition, LKPD Policy requires public notification if officers are asked to assist in civil immigration enforcement.”
FOX4 was able to get ahold of a Lawrence Police Departments spokesperson about the encounters. They would not comment on camera but emphasized that ICE is a federal agency and that local officers are not involved in any of the detainments or arrests being made unless asked by Homeland Security.
As of Tuesday night, ICE has not yet released an official statement regarding their presence in Lawrence.
For Kinuwan, she said she hopes the Lawrence community will stick together in this time and that altercations do not disturb the community.
“I have to do something,” Kinuwan said. “And even if it is just turning my camera on and that’s the only weapon I have against this right now, it’s what I’m gonna do.”
