Central Coast Immigration Sweeps Escalate at End of Year

Immigrant rights organizations sent out urgent messages warning of “devastating escalation” in federal immigration enforcement in the days following Christmas, with 805 UndocuFund’s Rapid Response Network — which keeps track of daily reports of ICE and federal enforcement — reporting more than 50 arrests in Santa Barbara County over just two days.

These arrests were among nearly 60 arrests across the Central Coast documented by Rapid Response volunteers and community defense groups such as S.B. Resiste and Carp Sin Fronteras on December 27-28. Those two days were the busiest in recent memory, with 33 individuals picked up in what was described as “indiscriminate arrests” at multiple locations in Santa Maria on December 27. On December 28, there were 23 more arrests, including more than a dozen in Lompoc, eight in Santa Maria, and two in Santa Barbara.

Primitiva Hernandez, 805 UndocuFund executive director, addressed the recent wave of immigration sweeps, which she said is causing “profound harm” to local immigrant communities. On December 27, when crews of federal immigration enforcement were reported at several workplaces and Latino neighborhoods in Santa Maria, the Rapid Response team called all hands on deck to document as much as possible.

“These are not isolated incidents,” Hernandez said. “What we are witnessing is the indiscriminate racial profiling of communities of color. Families are being ripped apart, workers are disappearing from job sites, and fear is being used as a weapon. The harm will have devastating consequences for people’s well-being and for the economic stability of our region and we must take action today.” 

In videos posted by Santa Maria digital news site Tu Tiempo Digital, masked agents were seen jumping out of unmarked vehicles to make arrests in alleyways, at car washes, and in parking lots near Mexican restaurants around town. These arrests were corroborated by witnesses on the ground and by volunteers with 805 UndocuFund’s Rapid Response Hotline, who later saw the same vehicles return to the ICE processing facility in Camarillo.

On December 28, the raids continued across Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Lompoc. According to a video update provided by 805 UndocuFund Rapid Response Network Organizer Cesar Vasquez, many of the arrests occurred early in the morning, and in one case the federal agents arrested a 17-year-old. Vasquez urged community members at risk of deportation to stay home if possible.

In one video posted to Reddit, masked agents — some of whom are armed and wearing bulletproof vests labeled “Police” — can be seen surrounding a man in a pickup truck on the side of the freeway near the Fairview Avenue exit ramp in Goleta shortly after 1 p.m on December 28.

As of midday on December 29, the federal enforcement operations continued in Santa Maria and Lompoc, where at least four more community members were arrested early in the morning. 

ICE representatives did respond to requests for comments on recent activity on the Central Coast. Department of Homeland Security and ICE representatives have previously stated that the agencies do not comment on current operations. According to the most recent estimates published by the DHS, more than 600,000 have been arrested and deported nationwide from January to December.

The recent escalation in federal immigration enforcement has caused an added strain on the nonprofit groups that work with the 805 Immigrant Coalition. Groups such as 805 UndocuFund rely on donations to support the Rapid Response Network, which verifies and reports on real-time incidents in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo Counties.

Hernandez urged community members to consider donating to support the Rapid Response Hotline as the need continues to grow. Text alerts to the thousands of community members can be costly, with the group spending nearly $9,000 on text alerts during the month of December alone.

“This year has made it painfully clear,” Hernandez added. “When immigrant communities are used as political pawns by federal administrations, the consequences are real and devastating. Community-led rapid response is not optional — it is essential. Our survival depends on each other.”

The 805 UndocuFund continues to work with other local groups to report on daily ICE activity, provide community defense training, and collect food, donations, and other resources for families impacted by federal immigration enforcement. Click here to learn about 805 UndocuFund’s Emergency Assistance Fund.