U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained two people in Seaside without notifying local police, prompting the department to push for advance notice of future operations.
Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges said his department learned of the detentions only after officers inquired on their own. Borges said ICE agents "were in town conducting targeted investigations and made some apprehensions," according to KSBW.
"It would be helpful to be notified if apprehensions are done proactively on their behalf because it helps us communicate facts to our community," Borges said, according to KSBW.
The Monterey County Rapid Response Network, a volunteer organization that tracks immigration enforcement, reported the detentions near Sonoma and Yosemite streets in Seaside. The network said ICE officers wore vests with "ICE Police" lettering. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported the individuals were detained near a black Nissan Murano and a plate-less white Dodge Durango.
Sources disagree on when the detentions occurred. KSBW reported they happened Sunday, Oct. 25. The Sentinel reported they happened Monday, Oct. 26, with the network alerting the public at 11:30 a.m.
The network described the enforcement as targeted, meaning agents knew who they were looking for. The network said it has observed increased ICE activity in the Seaside area over the past several weeks.
Seaside police said in an Instagram post on Monday, Oct. 26, that they had "confirmed with federal authorities that ICE has been conducting targeted investigations in Seaside and has made several apprehensions," according to the Sentinel. The department added that its understanding was the operations involved individuals suspected of federal criminal violations.
The department also said it has established communication with federal partners. Seaside police said federal authorities agreed to notify the department's dispatch center when operating in the community, according to the Sentinel.
Under California law, local police departments cannot assist ICE with civil immigration enforcement. Borges said the department was not involved in the detentions but wants advance notice of any preplanned enforcement actions in Seaside.
The Seaside detentions came during a weekend of reported ICE activity across the region. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office said federal agents appeared at the Santa Cruz County Main Jail on Saturday, Oct. 24, seeking to take a person into custody but left without detaining anyone. The Sheriff's Office said on social media that it does not notify ICE of scheduled release dates and does not participate in civil immigration enforcement.
ICE has not publicly commented on the Seaside detentions. NBC Bay Area reported it contacted ICE about related activity in San Jose but had not received a response, according to KSBW.
The Monterey County Rapid Response Network can be reached at (831) 204-8082 to report ICE activity in Monterey County.
