As hundreds gathered to protest the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis last week, organizers urged the public to get involved. ”Find a political home in Santa Cruz County,” one organizer told Lookout as ICE monitoring activity grows locally.
The Trump presidency and Santa Cruz County

News and opinion coverage of reaction in Santa Cruz County to the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president, plus news from around California via Lookout’s content partners.
We can stop ICE terror: It’s time to organize
The Trump administration governs through fear, particularly in the way it handles immigration, writes UC Santa Cruz researcher Veronica Hamilton. The antidote to terror is organization, she writes — and the time to build it is now.
Residents gather in Watsonville to remember life of woman killed by immigration officer in Minneapolis
About 100 people gathered in Watsonville on Thursday evening to remember Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old woman shot and killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
California loses $160M for delaying revocation of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants
California will lose an additional $160 million for delaying the revocations of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants, federal transportation officials announced Wednesday.
Newsmakers 2025: County Superintendent Faris Sabbah discusses a challenging year in education
Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah says local schools are navigating sweeping federal policy changes and funding cuts by reaffirming their commitment to equity and strengthening communication and support for families.
Watsonville residents take to the streets to criticize Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela
Nearly 40 Watsonville residents took to the streets Saturday afternoon to protest the Trump administration conducting a military attack on Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The U.S. military conducted large-scale air strikes in Caracas, the country’s capitol, early Saturday morning, and later captured Maduro and […]
Newsmakers 2025: Food and toiletries distributions for undocumented ag workers become offseason lifeline
As the Pajaro Valley’s growing season comes to a close, many of its workers turn to a monthly food distribution event hosted by the Center for Farmworker Families to alleviate the financial burdens that come with no work for a few months.
In an era of ICE raids, a Latino Christmas tradition proceeds with caution
San Marcos residents celebrated the holiday tradition of posadas together while navigating fear and tension caused by increased ICE enforcement.
‘This is the Super Bowl’: Consultant hired by county says Trump’s offshore drilling plans will test local ordinances
Richard Charter has been here before: In the 1980s, he was hired to organize an effort to block oil drilling off the coast of California. Now, with the Trump administration wanting to open the coast for drilling, he’s been hired to fight again by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
California’s water partnerships are effective and in danger
Federal cuts imperil government and private water partnerships and hobble disaster planning, writes Letitia Grenier and Jeff Mount of the PPIC Water Policy Center. California must maintain its water expertise.

