At least one person was detained in Watsonville on Sunday morning by armed men who appeared to be U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to community members who posted video on social media.
The video appeared to show an unidentified man being handcuffed by a person wearing a jacket labeled “Police” and “ICE.”
It was not clear Sunday night where the man was taken or whether he was still in custody.
Watsonville police did not respond requests for comment.
Paulina Moreno, a volunteer with Your Allied Rapid Response for Santa Cruz County, said similar agents also visited other households, but residents did not open their doors.
That is exactly what they should do, Moreno said.
“We’re reminding people about their constitutional rights not to open the door, to remain silent and not to share any additional information with law enforcement,” Moreno said.
The group, known as YARR, has about 200 members. Its website says its mission is “to use our bodies, tactics and resources to document, resist and prevent actions by ICE or other oppressive forces that would harm our fellow human beings.”
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, whose district includes portions of Watsonville, said he went to the area where the detention took place—a small alley between Martinelli’s and Catz Paws across from the Henry J. Mello Center on East Beach Street—but the agents had already left.
“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 said. “Everyone, regardless of status, has rights, including the right to remain silent and to request a judge-signed warrant.”
Moreno said volunteers were unable to locate the vehicles.
