Local activist groups say a surge of federal immigration activity across Santa Barbara County, including the arrests of two U.S. citizens, is tied to a suspected statewide immigration enforcement operation. 

Since Oct. 5, the nonprofit 805UndocuFund has recorded an estimated 150 immigration-related arrests across the Central Coast, with Santa Barbara County being “the most hit,” according to spokeswoman Claudia Gonzalez.

She added that the number fluctuates because people will call the organization days after federal immigration enforcement activity is reported.

The 805UndocuFund’s Rapid Response Hotline — through which community members can report federal activity — had its call volume triple in early October compared with the summer months, according to Executive Director Primitiva Hernandez.

As of Oct. 19, 805UndocuFund had recorded about 1,314 immigration-related arrests across Santa Barbara County since January 2025. That’s up from 1,168 immigration-related arrests in September.

The organization chronicles daily federal immigration activity and detentions on its social media channel. 

The data also reflect the minimum number of arrests, Gonzalez said.

“We ask anyone who has any time available to go out and patrol your community,” Hernandez said last week.

The uptick comes amid media reports of a 45-day statewide immigration enforcement operation that 805UndocuFund leaders said began on Oct. 5.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have not publicly commented on the operation.

Agents have reportedly been told to “go after anybody” who is in the county illegally, regardless of whether they have a criminal record, the Washington Examiner first reported this month.

ICE and Department of Homeland Security officials have not responded to Noozhawk’s request to comment on any operations in California.

Men Detained at College, Albertsons

The arrests include a man detained while dropping off his daughter at Allan Hancock College’s Santa Maria campus earlier this month and another man detained at the Albertsons in Carpinteria on Oct. 12. 

The man detained at the college was a 50-year-old owner of a car wash who immigrated from Mexico more than 20 years ago, his daughter, Mayrin, told the San Luis Obispo Tribune. His daughter also told the Tribune that he is a father of six. 

ICE officials identified to Noozhawk that the man arrested in Carpinteria was Juan Antonio Mejia Raya. He was reported to be in the country illegally, and an ICE spokesperson said he had “at least” five DUI arrests.

“Mejia Raya actively resisted and attempted to flee from officers before he was apprehended,” the spokesperson said. 

According to the ICE detainee locator, Mejia Raya was detained at the Desert View Facility in Adelanto as of Tuesday. 

The federal agency did not respond to questions about additional details.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court records show that Mejia Raya pleaded guilty in 2023 to driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% and had three prior convictions of driving under the influence. 

He was sentenced to 185 days in jail and three years of probation, which ended Oct. 9. His driver’s license was also suspended for four years.  

Federal Agents Detain 2 U.S. Citizens

ICE also reportedly detained two United States citizens along the Central Coast last week. 

A rapid response organizer and a volunteer were detained on separate days, prompting 805UndocuFund and city leaders to gather last Thursday to denounce local ICE activity.

ICE detained 805UndocuFund volunteer Alexandria Quintanar while she was out observing federal agent activity in Santa Maria on Thursday, she said during a press conference last week. 

She told The Tribune that a federal immigration enforcement agent pursued her in her vehicle through Santa Maria before detaining her and taking her to the local ICE field office. She was released later that day.  

“What happened to me today, being chased erratically by that ICE  agent, could have been anybody’s family member,” she said.

She said an ICE agent claimed she was impeding him while she was recording and documenting federal agent activity, which led to her being detained. 

Her detention also came just a day after Homeland Security Investigations reportedly detained an 805UndocuFund rapid response organizer, Joseph Dobzynski Jr., in Camarillo. He said he was monitoring federal agent activity at the time.  

Dobzynski is known for his “Cortez Circle Morning Raid Reports,” which he posts to social media daily.  

The morning he was detained and later released, he spoke about the incident on social media in which he said several vehicles surrounded his vehicle and reportedly hit it.

“I had guns pointed at me while I was on my phone observing and reporting,” he said in the video.

He said he has been given a mid-December court date.

Homeland Security Investigations has not responded to Noozhawk’s inquiry to comment on Dobzynski’s charges.

State, Local Leaders Denounce Federal Activity 

The reported statewide operation has caused local, state and federal leaders to denounce federal immigration activity along the Central Coast.

Congressman Salud Carbajal said in a statement online that he tried to enter the Santa Maria ICE facility last week after hearing reports of increased detentions along the Central Coast but was not let in. 

“This is intolerable; this is unacceptable,” he said. “I, as a member of Congress, could come here to do oversight and ask some basic information about our federal operations and not be allowed in or not be given any information is 100% unacceptable.”

He also called Quintanar’s detention a matter of “harassment and intimidation.”

Santa Maria City Council member Gloria Soto also spoke out against the reported increase in federal immigration enforcement activity last week. 

“When families are afraid to go to school, seek medical care, go to work or ask for help, our entire community suffers,” Soto said. 

Two weeks ago, the Santa Maria City Council rescheduled its regular meeting, citing safety concerns. 

Soto also denounced ICE agents Thursday for detaining volunteer observers. She said they should not be treated as suspects “simply because they are documenting what is happening in our community.” 

She called on the Santa Maria Police Department to not facilitate ICE operations, to protect residents’ constitutional rights and to be transparent about its policies.

She also called on the other members of the Santa Maria City Council to stand with the community and voice its values.

“Every resident in Santa Maria deserves to live with dignity, safety and the freedom to stand up for their neighbors,” Soto said.

Noozhawk reporter Jack Dindia contributed to this report.