Central Coast Leaders Speak Out on Trump’s Immigration Agenda

Rep. Salud Carbajal Blasts Operations as ‘Completely Unjustified, Deeply Harmful’

By Ryan P. Cruz Fri Jun 13, 2025 | 03:30pm

The past week’s escalation in immigration enforcement on the Central Coast and the militarized response to protests in Los Angeles have added fuel to an already chaotic situation, prompting public statements from local politicians who called the Trump administration’s actions “disturbing” and “reprehensible.”

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal — a Mexico-born former Marine whose father once worked in the fields of Oxnard — held a press conference on Tuesday where he spoke out about the wave of ICE raids in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, which resulted in the deportation of dozens of farmworkers and stoked fears in workplaces and schools across the region.

“Agents are harassing people, grabbing them off the streets and attempting to enter private businesses,” Congressmember Carbajal said. “Kids are afraid to go to school for their own graduations; farmworkers are being chased around agriculture fields; active duty marines are on the streets of Los Angeles, along with the National Guard — against the wishes of [Governor Gavin Newsom] and the mayor of Los Angeles.”

Carbajal said the actions taken by the Trump administration are “completely unjustified, deeply harmful, and raise serious questions about this administration’s respect for the rule of law.” He criticized the use of military personnel as “political theater,” and condemned the use of government resources to target people who have no prior criminal records.

“ICE claims they are targeting criminals,” he said. “The reality is we are seeing that they are targeting hardworking people, families, and children who are an essential part of the Central Coast and California as a whole.”

He warned that mass deportations of agricultural workers during peak harvesting seasons could lead to “empty shelves at the grocery store and higher prices on everything from strawberries to eggs. “

Carbajal, who later the same day admonished Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles, said it was setting an “extremely dangerous precedent” to send troops who had not yet completed use of force and non-lethal training. “Marines are warfighters,” he said. “I know, I’m a Marine. They are not trained to do crowd control.”

He said that the majority of protests in Los Angeles were peaceful, and that President Donald Trump’s heavy response was akin to somebody playing both “arsonist and firefighter” — to “create a problem then come in and try to solve it and take credit as if somebody else created the initial issue.”

Members of the media reporting on immigration expressed their frustration with the lack of public correspondence from ICE and the federal government, which have not released any official figures regarding the number of individuals detained in these raids, nor any details on whether any of those arrested were wanted on criminal charges.

Carbajal said his office has not received official updates from ICE’s congressional unit since early February, leaving immigrants’ rights groups and nonprofits as the only sources of credible information for the public. “There’s a lack of transparency like we’ve never seen before,” he said.

According to 805UndocuFund and the 805 Immigration Coalition, which operate the 24/7 Immigrant Rapid Response Hotline, there were an estimated 80 arrests on the Central Coast heading into this week. On Tuesday, the organization confirmed 40 farmworker arrests in a single day, then on Friday morning a video update confirmed at least 15 to 20 more people were apprehended in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

“We are doing our due diligence to use our authority and our oversight to request information and to insist on information, so that we and the public and the members of the media can have that information,” Carbajal said.

California Assemblymember Gregg Hart released his own statement in which he said he was committed to protecting the immigrant community and the rights of all Californians to peacefully protest.

“The actions taken by the Trump administration — targeting immigrant communities, inciting violence, and violating constitutional rights — are reprehensible and serve only to instill fear,” Hart said. “California will take all necessary steps to defend our communities from this abuse of power.”

A protest was held at Santa Barbara Courthouse on Tuesday, June 10, in which demonstrators and local organizers demanded to “Keep ICE Out” of the Central Coast. | Credit: Elaine Sanders

Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon published a public statement making it clear city police “does not participate in federal immigration enforcement activities” and that the department does not “ask about, collect, or keep information” about immigration status.

“Our focus is on community safety, building trust, and ensuring that victims and witnesses of crime feel safe coming forward without fear of deportation or discrimination,” Chief Gordon said.

She said the people’s right to peacefully protest is a “cornerstone” of democracy, and city police would continue to allow the public to assemble and express their views freely.

“That said, we ask that all demonstrations remain nonviolent and respectful of others,” Chief Gordon added. “When individuals engage in acts that threaten public safety, damage property, or harm others, our department will act swiftly and decisively to separate agitators from lawful demonstrators to protect both public safety and the integrity of the protest itself. Our goal is always to de-escalate tensions, facilitate dialogue, and support safe, lawful expression.”

A “No Kings” protest is planned for Saturday, July 14, in Santa Barbara, in which demonstrators are planning to form a human chain along Cabrillo Boulevard from Calle Cesar Chavez to Castillo Street. The protest is one of hundreds taking place across the country on Saturday, organized in response to the massive military parade scheduled the same day in Washington, D.C.