The Seaside Police Department confirmed that images appearing to show Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers outside a Seaside restaurant were AI-generated fakes.
The images circulated on social media among local residents. They appeared to show a federal ICE vehicle parked outside The Butter House restaurant and people being handcuffed by ICE officers. Seaside Police and the Solidarity Network Monterey County, a volunteer-led group of legal observers who monitor immigration enforcement, both concluded the posts were most likely created using artificial intelligence, Monterey County NOW reported.
The images were fake.
Seaside Police said in a statement that they contacted the federal agency directly and confirmed ICE was not operating in the city. The Monterey Herald reported on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that Seaside Police stepped in to confirm the images were false, describing the broader uncertainty the fabricated posts created in the community.
The Solidarity Network called the creation of the images irresponsible in an Oct. 8 statement. The group said the fake posts created confusion, stoked fears and affected local businesses at a time of heightened reports of ICE detentions in other parts of California.
"We ask our community to refrain from sharing any images and call our hotline to verify ICE activity," the Solidarity Network said in its Oct. 8 statement.
Both the Seaside Police Department and the Solidarity Network urged residents to verify any suspected immigration enforcement activity before posting on social media.
The false images surfaced amid unconfirmed reports of a federal initiative called "Operation Safe California," described as a 45-day, large-scale ICE operation across the state targeting undocumented immigrants, according to Monterey County NOW. The Washington Examiner reported the operation began in San Diego, though the reports remain unconfirmed. Local businesses in some Southern California cities have reported lower foot traffic since news of the operation spread, according to news reports.
No ICE enforcement activity has been confirmed in Seaside. Residents who suspect immigration enforcement in the area can contact the Seaside Police Department at (831) 899-6858 or reach the Solidarity Network Monterey County's hotline to verify reports.
