County Fight Contested

Hancock MS — IGSA Facility and the Makoka Brothers School Bus Arrest

Hancock, MS FIPS 28045

Current status: Hancock County operates an active IGSA with ICE. Daily detainee counts tripled in early 2025. April 21, 2026 arrest of two F-1 student brothers at a school bus stop — one age 15 — triggered bipartisan backlash even in a county that voted 80% Trump. Both brothers RELEASED to their host family April 30, 2026 after a community campaign (3,000+ signature petition); Israel released on ankle monitor in time for graduation, Max to legal guardians. They will pursue F-1 visa reinstatement via ICE check-ins and court proceedings.

The Fight

Hancock County, Mississippi has operated an Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) with ICE since 2020, housing detainees at the Hancock County Public Safety Complex near Bay St. Louis. The county voted roughly 80% for Trump in 2024 and local leadership has not opposed the arrangement. But on April 21, 2026, ICE agents arrested two brothers — Max Makoka, 15, and Israel Makoka, 18 — at their school bus stop in Diamondhead. Both were F-1 visa students from the Republic of Congo enrolled at Hancock High School. The arrest, witnessed by their host father and classmates, triggered immediate and bipartisan community backlash that drew national attention to the county’s detention infrastructure.

The IGSA

The Hancock County IGSA has operated quietly since 2020. Daily ICE detainee counts nearly tripled after January 2025: from an average of 2–5 detainees per day to 5–25 per day, with peaks near 50 per day. The county has earned over $230,000 since October 2025 — including approximately $56,000 in December 2025, a figure that coincides with an ICE enforcement operation in the New Orleans area.

Key county officials involved in the IGSA include Sheriff Johnny Alison, Warden Brandon Zeringue, County Administrator Jimmie Ladner, and Supervisor Greg Shaw.

The Makoka Brothers

Max Makoka (15) and Israel Makoka (18) are citizens of the Republic of Congo who had been attending Hancock High School in Diamondhead on F-1 student visas. On the morning of April 21, 2026, ICE agents detained both brothers at their school bus stop. Their host father, Cliff Baptiste, and classmates were present. The brothers were zip-tied in front of the students waiting for the bus.

Their visas had lapsed administratively during a school transfer — a paperwork failure that went without notification to the students or their host family.

Following arrest:

Israel Makoka was transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Facility in Jena, Louisiana.
Max Makoka was transferred out of state to Office of Refugee Resettlement custody in Texas, due to his age.

Community Response

The response was swift and crossed partisan lines. In a county that delivered roughly 80% of its votes to Donald Trump, local figures including Mayor Anna Liese of Diamondhead, Pastor James Reardon, and coach Conner Entriken spoke out publicly against the arrests.

At the federal level, Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS-04) — a Republican — issued a public statement on April 29, 2026 stating he was monitoring the case. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith arranged immigration attorney assistance for the family.

The case became a focal point for discussions about administrative visa failures, the detention of minors, and the community consequences of county-level ICE cooperation.

Outcome — Released April 30, 2026

Both brothers were released to their Mississippi host family on April 30, 2026, more than a week after the bus-stop arrest, following a sustained regional campaign and a Change.org petition that exceeded 3,000 signatures. Reporting clarified the legal basis: the brothers entered the U.S. on F-1 student visas tied to Piney Woods School (Rankin County), one of the few MS schools certified for F-1 students. When they transferred to Hancock High (not F-1 certified) the prior summer, their F-1 status lapsed.

Israel Makoka was released on an ankle monitor and returned to Mississippi in time for his high school graduation.
Max Makoka was released to his legal guardians (the Baptistes) and is expected to attend a local private school next year.
Both will participate in ICE check-ins and court proceedings while seeking reinstatement of their student visas.

Timeline

2020: Hancock County enters IGSA with ICE
January 2025: Daily detainee count begins rising sharply (2–5/day → 5–25/day, peaks ~50)
October 2025: County has earned $230,000+ in IGSA payments since this date
December 2025: County earns ~$56,000 coinciding with NOLA enforcement operation
2026-04-21: ICE agents arrest Max Makoka (15) and Israel Makoka (18) at Diamondhead school bus stop; zip-tied in front of host father and classmates
2026-04-21: Israel transferred to Central Louisiana ICE Processing Facility (Jena, LA); Max transferred to ORR custody in Texas
2026-04-29: Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS-04) issues statement monitoring the case
2026-04-29: Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith arranges immigration attorney assistance for family
2026-04-30: Both brothers RELEASED to host family; Israel on ankle monitor (in time for graduation), Max to legal guardians; Change.org petition surpasses 3,000 signatures

Key Actors

Max Makoka — 15-year-old F-1 student, Republic of Congo national, detained and transferred to ORR/Texas
Israel Makoka — 18-year-old F-1 student, Republic of Congo national, detained and transferred to Jena, LA
Cliff Baptiste — Host father, present at arrest
Sheriff Johnny Alison — Hancock County Sheriff, IGSA counterparty
Warden Brandon Zeringue — Public Safety Complex
Jimmie Ladner — County Administrator
Greg Shaw — County Supervisor
Mayor Anna Liese — Diamondhead, spoke out against arrests
Pastor James Reardon — Community voice against arrests
Conner Entriken — Coach, spoke out
Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS-04) — Republican congressman monitoring case
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith — U.S. Senator, arranged legal assistance

Sources

This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.

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