A downtown Columbia building is set to house an office for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency after signing a lease late last year, shocking city officials and raising concern among USC students.
The building, located at 1441 Main St., is reportedly being used for ICE’s Office of Legal Advisors, and the deal came as a surprise to students and City of Columbia officials. Despite reports that city officials learned about the deal in February when news stories reporting it were released, the 10-year, $4.3 million lease was signed in October.
The deal was between the Department of Homeland Security and the private owner of the building. Because a private company owned the building, it would not be routine to advise the local government before a deal was made, and the lack of transparency led to confusion among the USC community.
Students have concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the deal, especially those who family members applying for citizenship.
“I wasn’t surprised there was activity, but I didn’t think you could do this just out of the blue,” a third-year political science student said, who asked not to be identified for safety concerns.
A member of the student's family is applying for U.S. citizenship, and they voiced concern about ICE not needing to notify the local government about the office. They worry about what this means for international students, especially considering the new building is surrounded by student housing.
“If (ICE) doesn’t have to talk to the state, they probably don’t need to talk to anybody in relation to school before they abduct somebody,” they said.
First-year political science student Abbigail Chandler shared similar thoughts. While she said she thinks ICE should deport those with a record of violent crime, she worries about what an increased ICE presence might mean for students living close to the building. Specifically, she mentioned the potential disrupt protests pose for students.
“While protesting is great, ... sometimes things get violent, and sometimes things get loud, and I think that’s bad to be next to any sort of housing, especially young people’s housing,” she said.
Another student, second-year finance student Hunter Soep, also said he worries about the potential danger protests might bring. When asked about the proximity of the building to campus, he said he worries about the safety.
The building is 0.1 miles from the Hub at Columbia, which is the closest student housing complex.
“I think that there could be some protests outside the student houses, and for the most part, protests are pretty peaceful, but things could turn south,” he said. “If things were ever to go bad, I don’t think having it near student dorms or apartments would be good.”
Officials also seemed surprised by the deal, and in a Facebook post shared on Feb. 17, City of Columbia Councilman Tyler Bailey said he learned about the lease through a news report. He announced he was filing a Freedom of Information Act request with the General Services Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, calling for records to be revealed.
“I have reached out to our entire Congressional delegation, asking for a formal briefing regarding this ICE office because answers are needed,” Bailey said in a video attached to the Facebook post. “I won’t stop working on this until we get some more answers.”
Bailey has not yet released an update regarding his Freedom of Information Act requests but says he hopes to release more details as they become available.
A representative for Gov. Henry McMaster told WIS News 10 that the Governor’s Office was not made aware of the lease beforehand, but it would not have been expected because it was "routine day-to-day administrative decision."
“State and federal law enforcement agencies coordinate, communicate, and collaborate with one another on a daily basis on serious matters of public safety and national security,” said Michelle LeClair, deputy press secretary for the Governor’s Office, in a written statement to WIS News 10.
Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann told Wach Fox 57 that communication between the Department of Homeland Security and local government officials is "necessary to help calm residents' nerves."
He also told WIS 10 that he wants the community to feel safe.
“It just compounds the distrust. What we don’t want is the distrust,” Rickenmann said.
The third-year political science student said the lack of transparency created fear and confusion, something that could have been avoided with collaboration between federal and state governments. Rickenmann claims ICE agents are not operating out of the building, but this information has not yet been confirmed by ICE or the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE would not confirm to WIS 10 the specific, planned purpose of the building due to safety concerns for the ICE agents. Rickenmann told Wach Fox 57 that he is still in pursuit of more details, but that the process is ongoing.
As city officials seek clarification from federal agencies, students are still looking for clarification and reassurance about what this new office could mean for the USC community.
The third-year political science student said the location of the office, has heightened concern among some international students, as it is surrounded by student housing and so close to campus.
“It feels very permanent,” they said. “It sends a message long-term that this is not the place.”
When Chandler was asked about the future of the university, she shared a similar sentiment.
“I’m not comfortable with a bunch of my peers being in that situation in which they could be deported and not even be near their families,” she said. “I think having an ICE building next to a college instills fear where it isn’t necessary.”