Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were spotted in Santa Barbara on Sunday.
805 UndocuFund, an organization that helps run the Rapid Response Hotline and provides aid to undocumented individuals, shared on social media on Sunday that officers were spotted on the Eastside and Westside of Santa Barbara.
An ICE officer was spotted outside of Mi Fiesta Market and Deli on the 700 block of East Haley Street in Santa Barbara around 12:45 p.m. Sunday.
An employee told Noozhawk that they had seen one officer walking around the area, but they didn’t go inside the deli. The employee also said that they didn’t see the officer make any arrests.
Social media posts from 805 UndocuFund reported that one individual was detained and that people from the Santa Barbara County Immigrant Legal Defense Center prevented one arrest on Sunday.
It is unknown how many individuals were arrested in Santa Barbara County. On Monday, 805 UndocuFund said ICE activity was recently observed in Solvang, Fillmore and Oxnard as well as Santa Barbara.
Primitiva Hernandez, Executive Director of 805 UndocuFund, said an employer reported to the Rapid Response Hotline that their employee was being questioned by ICE. Executive Director Julissa Peña from the Immigrant Legal Defense Center, was able to provide assistance and ensured the individuals release from further questioning.
“Yesterday, ICE came into our communities without warrants, dressed in plainclothes, and driving unmarked vehicles. They resorted to verbal and physical intimidation, flagrantly attempting to violate people’s rights,” said Hernandez.
She added that one incident involved ICE agents surrounding an individual’s truck, mocking him, and shouting at him.
“Thankfully, the ILDC intervened over the phone while outside the individual’s vehicle, empowering the individual to assert their rights and preventing further abuse,” Hernandez said.
The ICE field office in Santa Maria did not respond to requests for information on Monday.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, issued a statement on Monday stating that he was still trying to get more details regarding ICE activity over the weekend. He also said he is concerned about the impacts that mass deportations would have on the region.
“Instilling fear in our communities is no way to fix our immigration system, and the potential targeting of people who have positively contributed to our nation for years and decades does nothing but drive fear into families across our region who do nothing but make our community better,” Carbajal said.
He also encouraged families to be cautious and aware of their legal rights.
Santa Barbara City Councilman Oscar Gutierrez said he’s heard from residents worried about the ICE presence in the area, with some people wondering if they should carry around their passport, avoid public places or even whether it’s safe to show up to work.
“It’s creepy and it’s sad and it’s frustrating,” Gutierrez said. “I’m trying to do as much as possible to help out as many people as I can within our legal means, and figuring out whether there’s something else we can do about it.”
He said he’s also noticed the impact the recent ICE presence has had on local businesses.
“You can see the effects,” Gutierrez said. “Yesterday, the business corridor through the Westside was very empty compared to what it usually is, and today it continued as well. It’s very empty.”
With President Donald Trump’s administration planning immigration-related deportations, multiple Santa Barbara County schools have recently passed resolutions promising to protect student information.
In December, the Santa Barbara Unified School District approved a resolution coauthored by the Santa Barbara Teachers Association and California School Employees Association. The resolution promises to provide safe spaces for students and families regardless of race, gender, religion, sexuality, and immigration status.
The resolution also promises to protect student information and keep immigration officers off of school campuses “to the fullest extent provided by law.”
The district also has a web page with resources for immigrant families.
On Jan. 15, the Santa Maria-Bonita School Board reaffirmed a previous resolution promising that information regarding a student’s immigration status will not be shared to immigration enforcement authorities without parental consent, a court order or a judicial subpoena.
Last Wednesday, the Goleta Union Board of Education reaffirmed the board’s commitment to safe and inclusive learning environments. The resolution promises that district staff won’t disclose a student’s immigration status except when that is “explicitly required by law and strictly limited to exigent circumstances.”
Both resolutions also promised that district leadership will be notified if immigration enforcement agencies request student information or request to access school sites.
The 805 Immigrant Rapid Response Network hotline is 805.870.8855.