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.
People that are in the US legally have no reason to be afraid. Not cooperating with law enforcement is wrong and should not be encouraged by the leaders of our communities, counties and state. Legal immigrants should be be welcomed, but illegals should be departed and encouraged to do it the right way.
Also, anyone that threatens to kill ICE agents or any law enforcement officer should be arrested and jailed.
They arrested a criminal and you are upset? Get help for your TDS and grab a bible while you are at it.
Where in the article does it say the person arrested was a criminal?
Get some help for your Trump Devotion Syndrome.
where are you located?
you and I don’t know anything about the person taken away or if he was a criminal. According to Department of Justice statistics, approximately 54% of these individuals have criminal records.
From Factually: ICE detention and arrest data from 2025 show a persistent pattern: a large majority of people in ICE custody have no criminal conviction — reported figures cluster around roughly 71–74% with no conviction in detention (e.g., 71% reported by Migration Policy and 73.6% reported by TRAC) [1] [2]. The administration and DHS present competing figures and framing, claiming their arrests largely target people with criminal convictions (DHS asserted 70% of arrests were of those “convicted or charged”), while multiple independent analyses and news outlets show the opposite picture for detainees overall.
Bunch of babies. Some of you are the very reason the city of Watsonville and the state of California went to crap. You are weak-minded individuals. Real Americans are cleaning up your mess again.
Your willingness to believe an authoritarian regime without question doesn’t make us weak-minded, it makes you naive and gullible.
BTW, right-wingers in the rest of the country think you’re a liberal just because you live in California.
Shows you just how little your brethren-in-racism can think critically.
Thank you for posting data, but if logic could sway people like Srgio, they wouldn’t be conservatives to begin with.
The only thing that keeps us a democratic republic is the rule of law. When ice leaders ignore court rulings and you snatch people up while reporting to court order hearings and arrested. This promotes a already broken system. Senator Jim Lankford a conservative republican put forward a bi-partisian bill that both sides agreed was a good first step. Donny john threatened all the republican congress people during his campaign who supported this bill so he could use it as political weapon.
your laws are evil and deadly and only a sheep with zero self respect or self preservation instinct would follow them.
You people are a joke. The world is laughing at you. You are so brainwashed, you voted for a houseplant (Joe Biden) for president. You are a bunch of fools.
Trump has dementia. Nobody takes 3 cognitive tests in one year unless their doctor is concerned.
Why do you base your personality on liking a politician?
I’m glad ICE is in Watsonville, get the illegals out of here, send them packing, now are schools and hospitals won’t be so overwhelmed, thank you ICE
I’m glad ICE is Watsonville, get the illegals out of here, send them packing, now are schools and hospitals won’t be so overwhelmed, thank you ICE
When I see You out in the field picking veggies in the hot sun, I’ll give a little more credibility to what you have to say.
You should join ICE! I hear they’ll hire any old moron–you might have a shot!
@SV “right-wingers in the rest of the country think you’re a liberal just because you live in California.”
The rest of the country thinks I’m an idiot for living in CA. Idiots and liberals are cut from the same cloth, so you are correct.
Is entering the U.S. without authorization a federal offense?
Feelings are not facts. All of you look really stupid.
Entering the U.S. without authorization is a misdemeanor.
Misdemeanors do not rise to the level of use-of-force by law enforcement.
Why don’t you leave CA? You’re clearly in a very hateful minority here. I’m sure some red state would love to have you.
Steve, we need to hear your voice of reason. I’m sure you can leave the NAMBLA meeting early
@SV You did not answer the question. Yes or no answer. I’ll try to help you. A misdemeanor is a crime, and your feelings won’t change that.
By the way, I agree, “Misdemeanors do not rise to the level of use-of-force by law enforcement.” But those who committed the misdemeanor did so by resisting arrest.
God Bless America!
Hopefully you’ll be able to leave soon so you can be miserable in another state.
Watsonville High just had a large walkout and ICE protest. I can’t wait to read your whiny baby take on that, Srgio. It’ll hit the paper soon.
@SV I’m glad to know I’m living in your head. By the way, half of those “children” who walked will later realize how stupid it was. They are brainwashed, as you are.
@Srgio Your ignorance is evident in your responses. You rely heavily on standard MAGA talking points and fail to provide any perspective beyond what you’ve already absorbed. That lack of critical thinking is both laughable and concerning.
@NaiveLady, since you want to get in the conversation. Let’s see if you can use your brain and not your feelings.
Is entering the U.S. without authorization a federal offense? True or False.
Do facts bother you?
Any One Saying to lau down liberty at the Feet of the Federal Government. You are not only a coward. Indeed you are a Traitor to the United States of America. You are an insult to the fallen. You are an embarrassment to your blood line.
Any One Saying to lay down liberty at the Feet of the Federal Government. You are not only a coward. Indeed you are a Traitor to the United States of America. You are an insult to the fallen. You are an embarrassment to your blood line.
Any One Saying to lay down liberty at the Feet of the Federal Government. You are not only a coward. Indeed you are a Traitor to the United States of America. You are an insult to the fallen. You are an embarrassment to your blood line. I am in a movie theater and I didn’t notice the typo because I had to pass popcorn. Regardless. As Americans we have to stand up against our government always!
This country only has freedom because once upon a time someone fought fir it. AnyOne Saying to lay down liberty at the Feet of the Federal Government. You are not only a coward. Indeed you are a Traitor to the United States of America. You are an insult to the fallen. You are an embarrassment to your blood line. I am in a movie theater and I didn’t notice the typo because I had to pass popcorn. Regardless. As Americans we have to stand up against our government always!
Hold the Phone you don’t get that this is a massive set up to steal your 2A rights away from you right? Please God tell me you understand its not about immigrants?