Kent Police issued a statement that U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted an operation Oct. 16 on the East Hill, not U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“It has come to our attention that there are rumors circulating in the community about a possible immigration operation at the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship on the East Hill in Kent,” according to an Oct. 17 Kent Police news release. “Those rumors are not correct. The facts are that it was a DEA operation.”
The church is at 19300 108th Ave. SE. Witnesses reported as many as eight unmarked white vehicles in the church’s parking lot early in the morning Oct. 16. Church leaders told the Kent Reporter that nobody had contacted them about using the parking lot that morning.
“I can confirm it was not ICE and KPD was not involved,” said Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla in an Oct. 17 email to the Kent Reporter. “This is all an unfortunate situation where assumptions were made and incorrect information was provided before we were given the opportunity to confirm what actually happened.”
The Kent Reporter reached out to DEA’s press contact to see what type of operation it conducted Oct. 16 in Kent, how and why it used the church parking lot and if any arrests were made. The DEA emailed the following response:
“During the current lapse in appropriations, DEA operations are directed toward national security, violations of federal law, and essential public safety functions,” according to the email. “Inquiries outside of these functions will be considered when the lapse in appropriation ends.”
The federal government shutdown began Oct. 1 after Republicans and Democrats in Congress could not agree about how to resolve an ongoing budget dispute.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information about DEA using the church parking lot.
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