ICE Activity Reported in York County: What Our Community Needs to Know

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were spotted this week in York County, South Carolina — pulling over drivers on Interstate 77 and patrolling the streets in Rock Hill. For anyone unfamiliar with the geography, York County sits directly on the North Carolina–South Carolina state line and is effectively part of the greater Charlotte metropolitan area. Rock Hill is less than 30 minutes from uptown Charlotte.

What Happened

According to a report by WSOC-TV, Rock Hill's chief of police confirmed he was aware of ICE's presence in the area but stated that the agency had not contacted his office. No local officials were able to explain the reason for the operation. A driver named Miguel Corona shared video footage with Channel 9 showing agents pulling over people traveling in work vans along Highway 77 South. He described seeing several immigration agency vehicles parked along the corridor, along with workers pulled over in trailers and painting trucks.

The Bigger Picture

This is not happening in isolation. State news outlets including WIS-TV and the SC Daily Gazette have reported that the number of South Carolina law enforcement agencies signing formal cooperation agreements with ICE has grown substantially over the past year, with more than 30 state and local agencies now participating. A March 2026 report by the ACLU of South Carolina documented that these voluntary agreements grew from 3 to 37 between February 2025 and February 2026, and noted that the York County Sheriff's Office has been consistently cited in federal 287(g) reports. The same ACLU report also stated that during a recent two-day ICE enforcement operation in Charleston County, a witness described state law enforcement officers appearing to pull over “exclusively Latino-appearing drivers.”

For residents of the Charlotte region and neighboring South Carolina counties, this means that federal immigration enforcement is now active in places and situations where it had not previously been reported.

Our Role at EMBRACE

EMBRACE serves every family in our community, regardless of immigration status. Our mission is to reduce the harm caused by language barriers and limited access to trusted information. We do not encourage or facilitate any violation of U.S. law, and we are not a shelter for criminal activity. What we do is translate, explain, and guide — so that families who do not read English fluently can access the same news, public information, and practical knowledge that English-speaking residents take for granted.

Know Your Rights

Whether or not you are directly affected by immigration enforcement, understanding your basic legal rights is one of the most important tools available to anyone living in the United States.

If you are stopped by law enforcement or approached by immigration agents, you have the right to remain silent. You are not required to answer questions about your immigration status, your country of origin, or how you entered the United States. You have the right to refuse consent to a search of yourself, your vehicle, or your belongings. If you are detained, clearly state that you wish to remain silent and that you want to speak with an attorney before answering any questions. Do not sign any documents without legal counsel.

We Are Here

If you witness an enforcement action or need support understanding public information in your first language, contact us. EMBRACE operates in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French/Creole, and we are committed to serving families across the Carolinas.