After special agents and deportation officers with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at a Mount Pleasant cement plant Wednesday, a local church is offering assistance to detainees’ families.

According to Public Affairs Officer Shawn Neudauer with the Department of Homeland Security, 32 men were arrested for administrative immigration violations after a search warrant was executed at Midwest Precast Concrete.

The First Presbyterian Church with its commission Iowa Welcomes Immigrant Neighbors, or IowaWINs, has offered itself as sanctuary for families of detainees to gather and connect children with caregivers. Pastor Trey Hegar wants immigrant families in Mount Pleasant to know they are welcome neighbors, “We also don’t think this is a good process of how to handle something that is civil and to just completely rip families apart like that. There are other ways that we can do this that are not as aggressive.”

When asked whether the church is equipped to shelter families Hegar said, “We’ll do whatever it takes. That was one of the conversations that we had some years ago and one we were just having, ‘Well, how long are they going to stay here, you know? Are we going to need bedding?’ Well, if we need bedding, we’ll go get bedding, and if it turns out we need to put in a shower, we’ve got some handy folks. We could put in a shower pretty quick, so we’re willing to do whatever it takes.”

Neudauer says those arrested will remain in custody pending removal proceedings or the outcomes of their respective cases. Hegar says IowaWINs are meeting tonight with State Representative Dave Heaton (R), immigration lawyers, and members of the community to discuss the situation.