Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson is responding publicly following growing attention surrounding the ICE detention of 19-year-old Elder Aguilar-Macario, a Trion-area student arrested during a traffic stop in Walker County.

Sheriff Wilson said the Walker County Sheriff’s Office does not independently enforce federal immigration law during routine patrols, but individuals who are booked into jail are processed through systems connected with federal immigration authorities. Wilson explained that once someone is arrested and booked, the process moves beyond the local agency’s direct control.

Aguilar-Macario was arrested on misdemeanor charges of driving without a license and failure to maintain lane before being transferred to Floyd County and later into ICE custody.

The case has sparked strong reactions across Northwest Georgia, especially in Trion and surrounding communities, where supporters say Aguilar-Macario was preparing to graduate and had no serious criminal history.

Sheriff Wilson emphasized that deputies enforce Georgia law and that immigration status checks occur as part of the jail intake process after an arrest is made.