UPDATE: Lawmaker corrects location of ICE arrests in Riverdale

RIVERDALE, Ga. - State Rep. Eric Bell (D-Jonesboro) has issued a statement after misidentifying the location of an alleged ICE arrest in Riverdale this week. The representative is now saying the arrests took place at Riverdale's Home Depot. Read full statement below:

"This week, members of our community were taken into custody by agents of ICE at the Riverdale Home Depot.I want to correct an earlier statement I made:

I had mistakenly reported that our neighbors were detained at the Walmart in Riverdale. I apologize for the confusion, and I hope no harm has been done to Walmart’s reputation as a result. While I remain critical of their alleged labor practices—such as failing to pay living wages, withholding full-time benefits and resisting efforts to improve working conditions—this mistake was mine, and I take responsibility for it.

But let me be clear: the real issue is what happened on Monday. Since the raid, local authorities still have not been given the names or locations of the individuals ICE took into custody. Eyewitnesses say both Latino and Black individuals were forcibly taken by masked, unidentified agents in paramilitary-style gear. These are our neighbors. Our friends. Our families. And, we will not stand for human trafficking in any form.

Clayton County Democratic Chair, Herman "Drew" Andrews, recovered a cell phone and a backpack left behind at the scene. That phone rang with calls from concerned, French-speaking individuals looking for someone named Muhammad. One of those calls came all the way from Senegal.

In the words of Anne Frank, ‘Terrible things are happening outside. Poor, helpless people are being dragged out their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find their parents have disappeared.

’We say again: we demand justice. We demand peace. And we will introduce legislation, coordinate with local law enforcement, organize, protest, write letters, make phone calls—and we will not stop until both justice and peace are delivered.

Additionally, here are some resources to help you understand your rights when interacting with ICE or immigration officials, and organizations that can support you:

•          CASA: Know Your Rights: https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/
•          Informed Immigrant: https://www.informedimmigrant.com/
•          Unidos Georgia: https://www.unidosgeorgia.com/
•          ACLU: Know Your Rights - Immigrants’ Rights: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights#police-or-ice-are-at-my-homeStay alert. Stay organized. Stay loved and stay in the fight."

ORIGINAL STORY

A Georgia state representative is demanding answers after an alleged ICE arrest at a Riverdale Walmart earlier this week.

State Rep. Eric Bell, who represents part of Clayton County, is calling for the immediate release of the arrested individual.

What we know:

According to Bell, an individual was taken from the Walmart around 2 p.m. by people claiming to be ICE agents.

Bell said the group did not provide any identification or paperwork during the "rogue operation."

What they're saying:

"Let me be clear: this is not law enforcement — this is human trafficking at its finest," Bell said in a statement. "I call for the immediate release of the individual taken, and a full investigation into this rogue operation. Our communities will not be terrorized by the same chilling tactics used in pre–Nazi Germany. We will not be silent while our neighbors are snatched from public spaces by unidentified agents of fear."

The other side:

FOX 5 has reached out to the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will update this story when we receive a response.

What's next:

Bell says he and other lawmakers plan to introduce legislation, coordinate with local law enforcement, and protest until they receive results.