Protesters are targeting a downtown Columbia building where ICE has signed an office lease for the agency whose officers have sparked anger around the country for their aggressive detention tactics.

A reported $4.3 million lease agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took public officials and the South Carolina community by surprise on Feb. 10.

The office space at 1441 Main St. can potentially be used as ICE’s Office of Legal Advisors, which serves as the federal Department of Homeland Security’s largest legal program.

The news sparked a large anti-ICE protest at the site of the building on Feb. 13 where residents, students and others stood together chanting their disagreements on the methods used as agents look for people in the country illegally. The anger spilled into a City Council meeting, where residents told the council their thoughts.

“I have seen no good come from ICE,” resident Chris Hildreth said. “I have seen no good come from their actions. I’ve simply seen more fear, broken up families and destroyed homes. … I urge you to come out and speak up against this thing that is happening to our city because to do anything else is an evil act.”

Councilman Tyler Bailey wanted to know why government officials were surprised. He filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Safety and General Services Administration on Feb. 17. He said he wants the department to justify why it kept the lease secret, with local politicians finding out about it through the news. The City of Columbia also released a statement saying it was also caught off guard.

There are some Columbia residents and officials who, unlike Bailey, support the move. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette responded on X to the Post and Courier’s story post, supporting federal officials. Her post was met with both criticism and support.

“The new ICE office in downtown Columbia strengthens our commitment to keeping sanctuary cities and illegal immigrants out of our state,” Evette said on X.

Former Columbia resident Kevin Jefferson said on Bailey’s Facebook post that Columbia was returning to its “former glory” with the new, revitalized Finlay Park, Soda City Market and other festivals and events. The presence of ICE officials could interrupt that, he said.

“Instead of Columbia remaining a peaceful city, chaos is brewing and something needs to be done to stop it,” Jefferson said in his comment.

Bailey said he will take action daily until he gets answers on why the agreement was made in private. He said as a civil rights attorney and a city councilman, he is obligated to find out on behalf of the community.

“The City of Columbia should not be blindsided, and we will not allow our residents to be treated as an afterthought,” Bailey said in a news release.