LOWCOUNTRY, S.C. (WCIV) — Nearly 90,000 undocumented immigrants live in South Carolina, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Some people who come to the Palmetto State illegally fly under the radar of immigration officials until they are arrested for a crime. That’s the story of 28-year-old Ronaldo Maico Manzanares Verde.
His quest to remain in South Carolina is a long and complicated one.
Behind a drug store parking lot in Hanahan, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, are considering the plan.
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“This can be very dangerous. We don’t know how desperate the individual is or what they have in their car or on their person,” the ICE official said.
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The team has just finished monitoring Ronaldo Maico Manzanares Verde, a 28-year-old from Honduras. He is in the country illegally, but this is not the first time.
“He has previous federal convictions for illegal entry and has been deported three times,” the agent said.
A week earlier, Ronaldo was arrested by North Charleston police on suspicion of harassing the woman and sending her lewd images.
ICE thought they had him.
“That’s the problem with these types of cases. This subject was released from Charleston County after we took him into custody. He was released the next day without notifying us,” the agent said.
They were back to square one.
“In this case, we spent 16 hours locating him,” the agent said.
There are 60 ICE agents in eastern South Carolina performing these duties every day.
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After Ronaldo left the house, investigators sprang into action and cut him off at a gas station. It all happened in seconds before Ronaldo was taken away for processing. Once there, reality begins to sink in for Ronaldo. He called his family to let them know what was happening to him.
Ronaldo tearfully agreed to speak to News 4. This is the fourth time he has been deported, and he said it was a shock. He said he didn’t want to go back to Honduras because he had nothing to go back to and there was gang trouble. Ronaldo said he is scared and has two children in the Lowcountry and Alabama.
Ronaldo said he plans to return here, even though crossing the border illegally could cost more than $15,000. News 4 asked ICE agents about Ronaldo’s determination to return.
“Dear ICE agents, we see it all the time. People cross the border illegally all the time, and they try to come back. There’s a lot here. If you have families and children, there’s a lot here. There’s stuff. They’re going to come back. I mean, they’re going to try.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office may become involved. He has been deported three times, and the charges will determine whether his deportation will be finalized.
“If he is indicted, it could be a deterrent,” the ICE official said.
It’s a deterrent, but not a failsafe. Ronaldo has previously been convicted by the federal government of illegally entering the United States and is currently in the custody of federal marshals. Officials said his case was accepted by the U.S. attorney for another illegal reentry charge.
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As of 2024, ICE is not in the Al Cannon Detention Center in Charleston County. When Sheriff Christine Graziano was elected in 2020, she determined that ICE could no longer work out of detention centers.
News 4 has repeatedly requested on-camera interviews with current Sheriff Christine Graziano about this case, but she has declined to appear on camera. However, she provided a thorough statement answering our questions regarding this.
“The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as other federal agencies, and we pride ourselves on maintaining a good relationship with these authorities. Of course, we will honor your hold request only if the immigration judge determines probable cause and signs the appropriate paperwork.If the judge orders it, we will honor it. It is highly inappropriate for us to enter into any type of informal arrangement with law enforcement agencies. This includes federal agencies. We adhere to established policies and memoranda.
Additionally, we would like you to know that the staff at the Al Cannon Sheriff Detention Center welcomes the elimination of 287g, as it has placed a tremendous burden on the staff. It should also be noted that the termination of 287g has no impact on public safety. It is not my agency’s job to do the job of federal law enforcement. Finally, I am proud that the agency’s relationship with the Hispanic community has improved and we are now more likely to collaborate with law enforcement. We’ve worked hard to build that relationship.
Let me be clear: If re-elected, I will continue to stay out of jail. ”
The Charleston County Sheriff’s Department’s policy on how ICE detains people can be found here.
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Carl Ritchie, a Republican running for the sheriff’s seat, said he believes the sheriff’s office should cooperate with ICE.
“Again, we’ve been very consistent about that from day one. We need to work with all of our federal partners, and ICE is one of them. If other jurisdictions or other municipalities or counties make arrests, we have to work with them and be able to work with ICE so we can keep these dangerous people away. These detainees have nothing to do with partisan politics. That’s what I’ve been saying since day one. is how we’re going to deal with it going forward. It’s all about public safety,” Ritchie said.
