Across South Carolina, including in Orangeburg where I was born and raised, I’ve been hearing the same thing from folks I talk to every day. People feel uneasy. Not because they don’t believe in law and order, but because something about the way immigration enforcement is showing up in our communities doesn’t feel right.
I was at the Statehouse recently to voice my concerns, and what I said there is what I still believe now.
I am a proud resident of Orangeburg. I’ve lived there long enough to know what makes our community work. We look out for each other. We trust the people we elect. And we expect our local leaders to focus on the things that actually keep us safe.
In Orangeburg, we elected Sheriff Leroy Ravenell to do a job. That job is to protect our community, build trust with residents, and focus on the crimes that impact our daily lives. Violent crime. Drug activity. Theft. The things that keep families up at night.
I trust him to do that job because I’ve seen how he shows up for our community.
This can also be said for every other community in our state. We elect the people we trust to keep us safe.
What I don’t trust is a system that starts blurring the lines between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement.
I said it before and I’ll say it again. Those are two different roles. If the federal government wants to enforce immigration law, that is their responsibility. Our local deputies are here to serve and protect the people of our counties.
When we start mixing those responsibilities, we don’t get better outcomes. We get confusion, fear, and a breakdown of trust.
And that trust matters more than people realize.
When folks are afraid that any interaction with law enforcement could have immigration consequences, they start to pull back.
Victims of domestic violence hesitate to call for help. Witnesses think twice before speaking up. Families stop engaging with the very systems that are supposed to protect them.
I have had these conversations with my neighbors in Orangeburg. This isn’t a theory. This is real life. People are worried. And when people are worried, it doesn’t make our communities safer. It makes it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs.
I also think about the practical side of it. Our local departments already have enough on their plate. Every hour spent trying to coordinate with federal immigration enforcement is an hour not spent addressing the serious issues we’re dealing with right here at home.
Every resource stretched thin is one less resource available to solve the problems we all agree need attention.
The folks making decisions from a distance don’t always see that. But we do.
We also can’t ignore the bigger picture. South Carolina has a long history when it comes to how systems of power affect different communities. That history didn’t just disappear. It still shapes how people experience enforcement today.
When policies disproportionately impact certain groups, people notice. And they remember.
That’s why this moment matters.
This isn’t about being against the law. I believe in the law. I believe in accountability. But I also believe in fairness, in proportionality, and in treating people with basic human dignity.
Those values aren’t in conflict with public safety. They are what make public safety possible.
At the end of the day, this comes down to trust.
I trust the sheriff my community elected. I trust my neighbors to hold local leaders accountable.
And I trust that the people of South Carolina know what their communities need better than anyone else.
What I don’t trust is fear as a strategy.
We are better than that. We’ve seen what happens when fear drives policy, and it’s never led us anywhere good.
If we want stronger, safer communities, we have to build them on trust, not suspicion. On cooperation, not division.
South Carolina is full of good people who want the same thing. Safe neighborhoods. Strong families. A fair shot at a better life. That should be our focus.
When we lose sight of that, we don’t just fail one group of people. We weaken the very communities we’re trying to protect.
Phil Ford is the founder and CEO of The Ford & Ford Group, a nonprofit political consulting firm based in his hometown of Orangeburg, which seeks to promote equitable policies for all South Carolinians. Initiatives he's advocated for at the Statehouse include increased access to healthcare, healthy school meals, and physical activity for students. Ford is also an active member of various community organizations including the Orangeburg-Calhoun Free Medical Clinic. He lives in Orangeburg.
Clinton Police sign a training agreement here.
