GEORGETOWN, Del. - Recent immigration enforcement activity in the area has left some residents concerned, particularly in Georgetown.
A Guatemalan immigrant, whom we are identifying as "José" for privacy reasons, has lived in Delaware for five years. He told CoastTV News he came to the United States in search of economic stability and better opportunities for his family.
"Fighting for life and for the family, that is why we are in this place, in this country," "José" told CoastTV News in Spanish. "We left our country because we don't have economic stability there. This is a country where there are jobs."
He said recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in the area has made him fearful, but he remains focused on providing for his loved ones.
"Fear sometimes makes us not go out and not continue working, but we continue working to fight and give the daily bread to our family," he said.
Lieutenant and Deputy Chief of the Georgetown Police Department Joel Díaz explained that police notified the public about a fugitive apprehension operation within town limits on Tuesday to keep residents informed.
"When we were notified by immigration that they were in town seeking a fugitive, once they completed their operation and they had cleared limits, we put out a notification just letting people know, 'Hey, by the way, this happened,' in the event that we received a bunch of phone calls again," Díaz said, referring to the calls they received last week after rumors spread about ICE presence in the area.
Despite recent ICE activity, Díaz emphasized that Georgetown police are committed to serving all members of the community, regardless of immigration status.
"If you're in Georgetown and if you're a victim of a crime, if you're in Georgetown and you're in need, it doesn't matter what your socioeconomic status is, what your immigration status is, if you're a person in need, we will provide services," Díaz said. "That is our job. That is what we signed up to do."
The Georgetown Police Department encourages residents to reach out with any questions or concerns. Officials say they aim to clarify information while respecting federal investigations.