WATSONVILLE — At least one person was detained by federal immigration authorities in Watsonville over the weekend, according to a local watchdog group.
Your Allied Rapid Response for Santa Cruz County, or YARR, shared in a series of social media posts that an individual was reportedly taken Sunday in the Rodriguez Street area by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The group, comprised of trained volunteers that verify and document immigration enforcement activity across the county, wrote that multiple unmarked vehicles were reported, including two sedans and two large SUVs. The agents apparently knocked on multiple doors at a single property near Watsonville High School, the group stated, and left when no one answered.
The rapid response group posted at 2 p.m. Sunday that after receiving multiple reports of an immigration enforcement presence in Watsonville that morning, trained verifiers canvased the area for hours but did not locate any agents.
County 4th District Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, who represents the region on the Board of Supervisors, told the Sentinel Monday that he traveled to the location in question Sunday once he heard about what was occurring, but the ICE agents had already left by the time he arrived.
“Our community does not welcome enforcement actions that intimidate families or target non-violent residents, and if ICE operates here, it should be limited to individuals who pose a real threat to public safety,” Hernandez wrote in a statement. “Everyone, regardless of status, has rights, including the right to remain silent and to request a judge-signed warrant. I will be looking into what our County and others statewide can do to better protect our immigrant residents, who are essential to our agricultural and tourism industries and our local economy.”
A video apparently depicting the arrest also quickly spread across social media Sunday. The video shows a man with his hands behind his back being held by an agent with a vest that has “Police ICE” in large yellow letters on the back. Another individual with “police” on the back of his vest appears to be preparing the interior of an unmarked SUV with flashing lights at its rear.
The Rapid Response Network in Monterey County also reported Saturday that one Monterey County resident had been detained by ICE at approximately 8 p.m. last Friday while traveling on Jolon Road in South Monterey County.
In response to a request for comment by the Sentinel, the county Sheriff’s Office clarified Monday that Rodriguez Street is within the city of Watsonville and outside of its unincorporated jurisdiction. The agency deferred any questions about the incident to the Watsonville Police Department.
“Our agency did not respond to, nor were we involved in, any ICE-related activity in that area,” Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ryan Farotte wrote in an email to the Sentinel.
The Watsonville Police Department declined to comment Monday. The Sentinel did not receive a response from ICE after seeking confirmation of the incident and inquiring about the custody status of the individual who had been apprehended.
The Watsonville incident comes over a week after more than a thousand people rallied in Santa Cruz to publicly condemn ICE after one of its agents shot and killed a Minneapolis woman earlier this month.