Speaking to a packed room at Santa Barbara’s Faulkner Gallery, a woman from the audience revealed the fear and anxiety she feels whenever she watches the news. She spoke about rumors of needing to register or risk deportation.

“I’ve been living here for 28 years, and I pay my taxes, and I work, and I try to give my family the best I can,” she said. “And I don’t even know how to explain the feeling.”

The woman spoke to a panel of activists and county officials at a forum Thursday about protecting the immigrant community. The event was hosted by The League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara County.

President Donald Trump has called for a crackdown on immigration and mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Since his inauguration, Trump has issued executive orders, including the Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order.

The order calls for cutting federal funding to sanctuary cities, hiring more agents for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Customs and Border Protection, and halting appointments for migrants seeking asylum.

Trump’s orders also expanded the powers of ICE and its ability to arrest and detain migrants.

The forum featured representatives from county agencies or organizations that advocate for undocumented immigrants, and occurred about a week after federal agents reportedly arrested a man in Santa Barbara using a battering ram to break down a home’s door to take the unnamed man into custody. They apparently showed no warrant until after they had forcibly taken the man into custody.

Many community members have been on edge because of Trump’s orders and after other Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in the area.

The panel was started by Julissa Peña, the executive director of the SBC Legal Defense Center. The organization provides legal services to immigrants who cannot obtain them otherwise.

About 70% of people who appear in immigration court do not have legal representation, according to Peña.

She continued by saying that according to an annual report by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 65% of people arrested by ICE have no criminal convictions. Furthermore, 43% of arrests are traffic related.

“These numbers obliterate the narrative that ICE is targeting dangerous criminals. Instead, the data reveals a system disproportionately punishing immigrants simply for being an immigrant,” Peña said.

She added that out of 2,937 people facing deportation in Santa Barbara County, 1,366 did not have access to legal representation.

Onyx Starrett, a deputy public defender, confirmed that undocumented immigrants are entitled to legal representation under the law. Starrett also stated that attorneys can file motions to have cases reopened or charges renegotiated if a defendant was not informed of how a case could affect their legal status.

Also speaking at the forum was Undersheriff Craig Bonner of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Bonner attempted to quell fears that the sheriff’s office would work with ICE and said that no one should feel afraid to call them if needed.

“We cannot and will not fail to provide core public safety services to any member of our community, and that includes undocumented immigrants who live and work within our communities,” Bonner said.

He continued by saying the focus of the sheriff’s office is to protect and serve the community ­– not enforcing federal laws.

One of the groups working to warn the community about the presence of ICE agents in the county is 805Undocufund. The group provides services to people in Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties.

805UndocuFund operates a hotline where residents can anonymously report arrests or sightings of ICE agents in the county. The hotline was originally set up in 2016 after President Donald Trump was first elected.

Primitiva Hernandez, the executive director of 805UndocuFund, also confirmed three operations have occurred across the county in the week leading up to the forum.

Two of them were in Santa Barbara, including one on the Westside. Hernandez said another arrest occurred in Santa Maria.

The group then works to provide support to the family by offering services and help locating family members.

Hernandez finished by announcing that the organization has just completed three years as a standalone nonprofit and is working on a three-year strategic plan that it hopes to release to the public soon.   

Second District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps spoke at the event.

“I’m here to simply say that the county is a place where everyone is welcome and no one should be living in fear. We are a compassionate county. We passed a resolution to that effect days after President Trump was re-elected,” Capps told the audience.

She continued by stating that the county was dedicated to its values of compassion, inclusivity and providing services.

Capps also acknowledged the sense of unease many people have felt since the 2024 election, but told the audience to use it for good.

“Channel your anxiety, channel your concern, and help those on-the-ground organizations that are providing help, real help, to those that are most vulnerable. Take that anxiety and turn it into action,” she said.