Santa Cruz County elected officials are creating a subcommittee, led by Supervisors Monica Martinez and Felipe Hernandez, to prepare for the possible impacts of immigration enforcement on county residents.
Latest News
Longtime community advocate Elias Gonzales announces bid for 4th District supervisor seat
Elias Gonzales, a Watsonville native and nonprofit leader, is running for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors’ 4th District seat. He will face incumbent Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, who is finishing out his first term on the board.
Federal land in Santa Cruz County safe from drilling under new BLM proposal, but environmentalists remain wary of oil and gas development
With a federal plan updating oil and gas drilling rules on Central Coast public lands now open for public comment, attention in Santa Cruz County has turned to whether any local federal lands could be vulnerable to drilling.
ICE watchdog group seeing influx of new volunteers as immigration enforcement escalates around U.S.
Immigrant advocacy group Your Allied Rapid Response is seeing an influx of new volunteers wanting to become legal observers as federal immigration officials continue to escalate their enforcement tactics.
Watsonville residents pack city’s downtown plaza to protest latest Minneapolis shooting, immigration enforcement
Hundreds filled Watsonville’s downtown plaza Sunday afternoon to protest immigration enforcement around the country and denounce the killing of a Minneapolis ICU nurse, just two weeks after a federal agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good.
Sheriff investigators: Gun found at Aptos High likely related to fight during winter break
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said the gun found in the bushes at Aptos High School is connected to a “physical altercation” that happened near the school over winter break.
Body recovered in Santa Cruz Mountains during search for missing 73-year-old woman
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office says a body was found in the Santa Cruz Mountains during the search for 73-year-old Jeanne Burke, who has been missing since late November.
Watsonville City Council moves forward with changes to its oversized vehicle ordinance
The Watsonville City Council has approved changes to a local law that could ban RVs and semitrucks from parking along public streets citywide. The ordinance is slated for a second hearing Feb. 10 before being formally adopted.
Hundreds of Watsonville High students walk out of class to take stand against immigration enforcement
Hundreds of Watsonville High School students staged a walkout Tuesday afternoon in protest of immigration-related enforcement. The protest follows the arrest of a Watsonville resident and reported ICE activity in the area over the weekend.
Sheriff’s office investigating gun, mask found at Aptos High School
A bag with a gun and ammunition was found on the Aptos High School campus on Sunday, prompting an investigation by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies.

