While much of the U.S. government remains shut down, federal immigration enforcement operations continue to sweep through Latino neighborhoods on the Central Coast, with the 805 Immigrant Coalition’s Rapid Response Hotline reporting multiple arrests in the past week, and at least 900 combined arrests in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties since January.
Border security, immigration enforcement, and deportation proceedings are among the few parts of the federal government to continue operating through the shutdown, and squads of masked agents in unmarked cars have continued to conduct daily arrests, typically transporting detainees to the ICE processing facility at Cortez Circle in Camarillo.
The 805 Rapid Response Hotline fields hundreds of calls and text messages each month reporting potential ICE and Border Control enforcement on the Central Coast. Hotline volunteers and legal observers will follow up on reported arrests, working to differentiate between local law enforcement and federal immigration, and connecting with any family members to provide legal and financial assistance.