Watsonville Community Hospital reported there was no confirmed ICE presence on the hospital campus, despite a reported sighting of suspicious-looking vehicles earlier in the day, according to Tony Nuñez, board chair of the Pajaro Valley Health Care District.
Volunteers from Your Allied Rapid Response for Santa Cruz County (YARR), also said they found no evidence of federal presence.
YARR received a call at 8:02am Tuesday about four black Escalade vehicles driving around the parking lot, said volunteer Monica, who did not provide a last name.
Trained volunteers arrived at 8:17am and did not find any Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles or agents present on hospital premises and in the surrounding area. No ICE presence was spotted during their site checks throughout the day either.
Monica said the organization’s responders communicated with the hospital and that the hospital observed via video surveillance the vehicles driving around the parking lot.
Still, a “Code Harbor” had been announced by the hospital.
“Code Harbor” is a hospital emergency protocol used to alert security personnel and supervisors of a possible presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on or near hospital grounds.
It is also intended to “protect patient privacy,” according to the hospital’s code description, which ICU nurse Roseann Farris said applies to ICE and any threat that meets those qualifications.
According to Nuñez, a patient reported seeing the four suspicious-looking black Escalade vehicles in the parking lot to hospital staff, who reported it to the nurse supervisor. A nurse supervisor reported the sightings to the California Nurses Association and YARR.
Nuñez said the nurses on duty did everything right by following the code procedures and implementing a partial closure of the hospital.
Rumored sightings at Natividad Medical Center in Salinas were also reported, according to Monterey County spokesman Nicholas Pasculli.
ICE agents were observed behind the hospital at the adjacent Monterey County Jail, but not at Natividad, Pasculli said.
“Natividad remains completely safe, open and dedicated to its mission,” Pasculli said. “…Patients are strongly encouraged to keep their scheduled appointments.”
Protesters gathered outside Monterey County Jail on Tuesday afternoon to protest ICE presence there.
KSBW captured video of a person identifying themselves as an ICE agent saying they were there for a targeted enforcement operation.
County officials reportedly asked the agents to leave, but they refused, KSBW reported.
Later on Tuesday, Monterey County Sheriff’s spokesman Andres Rosas said that the jail has been placed on temporary lockdown.
The jail is not accepting any new bookings, all inmate releases have been temporarily suspended, and the facility is closed to all public visitation, with the exception of attorneys visiting their clients.
“These temporary measures are being implemented out of an abundance of caution to ensure everybody’s safety,” Rosas stated in a press release. “Our priority remains maintaining a safe environment for everyone in and around the jail facility.”
In August, officials from Monterey and Santa Cruz County gathered to say they will not cooperate with federal immigration officials.
The California Nurses Association published an announcement in which it declared ICE presence in the areas of WCH and Natividad and called for a rally against immigration enforcement at hospitals.
Despite the vehicles not being confirmed as ICE, nurses and hospital staff held the rally at WCH. Around 25 nurses and hospital staff rallied against ICE in the areas of Watsonville Community Hospital and Natividad Medical Center in Salinas at the WCH campus Tuesday afternoon.
Farris spoke on behalf of Watsonville Hospital nurses against ICE presence in the hospital and the community and encouraged attendees to be on high alert for ICE in the area.
“We need to make sure our community knows that our patients are safe here, they are welcome here,” Farris said.
Kristine Olalia, a nurse at CHOMP, and Jean Marll, a nurse at Salinas Valley Health Medical Center, echoed Farris’ statements.
“Nurses stand for the safety of our patients,” Marll said. “ICE needs to stay out of our hospitals … We are a safe space for patients and their families and we will not tolerate this.”
Darla Contreras, a labor and delivery nurse at WCH, said she was in attendance because she was horrified to hear that ICE was reported at the hospital this morning.
“I just want to learn more and find out what we can do to stop this presence and protect our community that … are fearful of coming to the hospital and getting care because they are afraid they are going to be thrown into a detention center and never see their families again,” Contreras said.
Watsonville Community Hospital confirmed there were no official sightings.
“At no point throughout today did the hospital see any sort of verified presence of ICE at the hospital or outside of it,” Nuñez said. “We want patients and the community to feel that they can continue safely using the hospital to get the care that they need.”
