ICE has visited Santa Cruz County at least 13 times since July, records show

On at least 13 occasions in the past five months, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has alerted the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and Watsonville Police Department that it would be conducting immigration enforcement in the community, according to documents provided by both agencies. 

Based on law enforcement records produced in response to public information requests, Lookout has counted at least 28 ICE courtesy notifications in the county since January of this year, though records from two local law enforcement agencies remain outstanding.

Federal law enforcement agencies notify local police and sheriff’s departments as a courtesy when they plan to conduct enforcement in their communities. A spokesperson for ICE previously told Lookout that this is standard practice for the agency. 

This follows similar operations during the first half of the year, when immigration officials notified Watsonville and Santa Cruz police departments a total of 15 times about planned ICE activity in their jurisdictions. 

Lookout determined that number by filing public records requests with all five law enforcement agencies in Santa Cruz County — the sheriff’s office and the police departments of Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Capitola and Scotts Valley — for information on any ICE courtesy calls they had received in the first half of the year. This latest count covers from mid-July through Nov. 18. 

Capitola police said they did not have any records indicating their departments had received any calls from immigration officials about enforcement operations during that time period. The police departments of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley have not yet responded to Lookout’s requests, which were filed on Nov. 20. Local agencies and governments have at least 10 days to respond to the request, per state public records law.

Incident reports provided by the sheriff’s office indicate immigration agents visited the communities of Live Oak, Aptos and La Selva three separate times between July 13 and Nov. 18. The other four reports indicate officials were working in the Pajaro Valley during that time. 

Records provided by Watsonville police show at least six times ICE notified local officers of their presence in the community since mid-July. Three documents indicated federal agents were operating in neighborhoods bordering city limits near Corralitos Creek. This area of Watsonville has a mix of single-family homes, rental units and a mobile home park. Other documents show immigration activity occurred in different areas of Watsonville. 

Incident reports from both local agencies do not indicate whether immigration agents made any arrests or if there was a large-scale raid. Documents from the sheriff’s office included the make and models of vehicles being used by ICE agents, what type of clothes they were wearing and if they were armed.

Much like the previous records provided by local police departments earlier this year, incident reports from Watsonville police and the sheriff’s office show that ICE agents conduct enforcement in the early morning hours, usually ending operations around 11 a.m. or noon at the latest. 

Comments from an Aug. 20 sheriff’s office incident report indicate ICE agents were seeking to arrest an individual in Live Oak. The direct comment reads: “C5 and arrest target.” Many law enforcement agencies in California use “Code 5” or C5 to mean a stakeout conducted by undercover officers. In a separate report from Sept. 22 about ICE activity in South County, similar comments were added by sheriff’s deputies: “Will be C’5ing, if their target is seen will make contact.” Both reports did not indicate whether an arrest was made. 

In documents released to Lookout from both agencies dated Oct. 26, local officers use the phrase “knock and talk,” a tactic used by immigration agents to carry out arrests. Immigration agents using this strategy walk up to a resident’s home and state that they are “conducting an investigation” as a way to enter the home without a judicial warrant. Last year, a federal judge had ordered the agency to end its use of “knock and talks” in Southern California. 

Local immigration advocates have previously told Lookout that undocumented residents aren’t legally required to open their doors if an immigration agent shows up at their home. People should also ask whether or not immigration authorities have a judicial warrant. 

Reports also indicate that immigration officials called both agencies on Aug. 4. The call to the sheriff’s office shows federal agents working in Pajaro Valley. Both notifications were made around the same time. 

Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark told Lookout that it’s a fairly common practice for federal law enforcement agencies to notify his office if they are operating within the county jurisdiction. Federal agents typically let the dispatcher know who they are, the address, or at least the area, and the type of vehicles they’re using, Clark said. 

The notifications do not go beyond those details, he said. “We don’t know whether or not they’ve made an arrest, or whether or not there’s any particular follow-up still going on,” said Clark. 

Clark said that any information provided to the department from ICE becomes part of police records and is shared internally, but not shared with the public at that time. He told Lookout that sharing details of an immigration operation as it’s happening, like the location, could be a violation of federal law because it could jeopardize an investigation. 

“I’ve been asked this by different community groups, ‘Can you let us know or confirm they’re out of location?’ And the answer to that is no,” Clark said. “I could be breaking the law by releasing law enforcement sensitive information pursuant to a federal investigation.” 

The sheriff’s office does not participate in immigration enforcement, Clark said. He added that the department’s mission is to help keep people safe — not to focus on an individual’s immigration status — and encourages residents to call dispatch if they feel unsafe or encounter someone impersonating federal law enforcement. 

Similar to the sheriff’s office, Watsonville police use the notifications from immigration agents for safety purposes, said Interim Chief David Rodriguez. If an emergency were to happen, the department will have a good idea of the situation and what it might be related to. The information provided by ICE agents is shared internally and through the chain of command, which also includes the city manager, he said. 

“We don’t act on it. We don’t go assist,” Rodriguez said. “We don’t make contact with the agents or the people at a specific residence. We just take it in as information for us.” 

Rodriguez said that his department will not be sharing information with residents for safety reasons. Watsonville police typically don’t share information about other agencies — federal or local — working the community, unless they are working alongside them and have permission to share details, he said. 

He added that the department will not get involved with immigration-related operations, and keeps its work strictly related to criminal matters impacting the Watsonville community.

“Our actions speak for themselves. … We don’t get involved,” Rodriguez said. “We’re here as a support and a resource for our community members, whatever questions or concerns they have.” 

ICE calls to Watsonville Police Department

ICE calls to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office

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